PRIME MINISTER

Delegations to Parliamentary Assemblies

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Prime Minister, if he willannounce the membership of the United Kingdomdelegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Tony Blair: I am pleased to announce that the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe is as follows:
	
		
			 Leader  
		
		
			 Tony Lloyd MP  
			   
			 Full representatives Substitute Members 
			 Hugh Bayley MP Mike Gapes MP 
			 Peter Bottomley MP Right hon. Greg Knight MP 
			 Simon Burns MP Sandra Osborne MP 
			 Right hon. Sir Menzies Campbell CBE  QC MP Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede 
			 Wayne David MP John Randall MP 
			 Right hon. Bruce George MP Paul Rowen MP 
			 Linda Gilroy MP  
			 David Heath CBE MP  
			 Baroness Hilton of Eggardon QPM  
			 Andrew Mackinlay MP  
			 Earl of Northesk  
			 Ann Winterton MP

Delegations to Parliamentary Assemblies

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will announce the full composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Assembly of Western European Union.

Tony Blair: I am pleased to announce that the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Assembly of Western European Union is as follows:
	
		
			 Leader  
		
		
			 Tony Lloyd MP  
			   
			 Full representatives Substitute Members 
			 Lord Burlison DL John Austin MP 
			 Christopher Chope OBE MP Nigel Dodds OBE MP 
			 Bill Etherington MP Nigel Evans MP 
			 Paul Flynn MP David Evennett MP 
			 Mike Hancock CBE MP Christopher Fraser MP 
			 Baroness Hooper Dr Ian Gibson MP 
			 Baroness Knight of Collingtree DBE John Greenway MP 
			 Christine McCafferty MP Nick Harvey MP 
			 Humfrey Malins CBE MP Doug Henderson MP 
			 Alan Meale MP Bob Laxton MP 
			 Edward O'Hara MP Right hon. Lord McIntosh of Haringey 
			 Lord Russell-Johnston Dr Denis MacShane MP 
			 Geraldine Smith MP David Marshall MP 
			 Lord Tomlinson Gordon Prentice MP 
			 Dr Rudi Vis MP Right hon. Baroness Taylor of Bolton 
			 Robert Walter MP Angela Watkinson MP 
			 David Wilshire MP Betty Williams MP 
			  Jenny Willott MP

G8 summit (Gleneagles)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister, how many vehicles the Government used in relation to the G8 summit in Gleneagles, broken down by make and model.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	In relation to the G8 summit, the Government used 246 vehicles. These included 20 cars, 47 people carriers, three articulated lorries, 21, 7.5 tonne trucks, six vans and 149 coaches. The cars used, broken down by make and model, were five Jaguar XJ, nine Volvo S80, one Peugeot 607, one Vauxhall Omega Elite, and four Mercedes E-Class. The people carriers used, broken down by make and model, were 31 Ford Galaxy carriers, two Volvo seven seaters, seven Chrysler Grand Voyagers, two Volkswagen Caravelles, three Mercedes V Class, one Volkswagen Sharan, and one Vauxhall Viano. To provide information on vehicle makes and model of the coaches, trucks and vans used would incur disproportionate cost, but the break down in size of the coaches used was 118, 49-seater coaches, 10, 70-seater coaches, 20, 16-seater coaches, and one 38-seater coach.
	We went to great efforts, beyond those previously undertaken in Government, to make the G8 as environmentally sustainable as possible. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) investigated using a wide range of low emissions technologies and as a result as many vehicles as possible used an advanced low emission form of diesel. Every effort was made to limit journeys and ensure that the maximum number of passengers were transported at one time. In addition, the FCO looked into the possibility of using environmentally friendly vehicles such as the Toyota Prius and the hydrogen-fuelled bus owned by London buses. Unfortunately, due to various logistical constraints this did not prove possible. The hydrogen-fuelled bus has a very limited mileage and can only be refuelled in London. Therefore, to transport it to Scotland for use during the Summit would not have proved sustainable or environmentally friendly. The FCO were offered the use of Toyota Prius cars as part of a sponsorship package. Unfortunately this offer did not prove to be financially viable to the FCO, as the FCO would have been required to supply both drivers or insurance, as well as transporting the vehicles to Scotland, at considerable cost.
	In other areas too, the FCO implemented a range of measures aimed at minimising the environmental impacts of the Summit. These included using local or Fairtrade. produce, drawing up a Supplier Code of Conduct" for contractors to ensure they shared our commitment to demonstrating the highest standard of environmental and social accountability, and as much as possible pursuing the 3 Rs policy—Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. The FCO encouraged and facilitated recycling at the Gleneagles summit and worked closely with the local council to ensure that the contents were disposed of correctly.
	These efforts continue. Currently, the G8 Climate Change Unit in Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is in the process of calculating the level of carbon emissions attributable to the UK's presidency of the G8 that could not be eliminated. They will offset these by investing in small-scale Clean Development Mechanism projects, with strong sustainable development benefits, located in Africa.

G8 summit (Gleneagles)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister, how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials on the UK delegation to the G8 summit travelled to and from Gleneagles by (i) car, (ii) train, (iii) aeroplane, (iv) bus and (v) helicopter.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) went to great efforts, beyond those previously undertaken in Government, to make the G8 as environmentally sustainable as possible. However, given the intensity of the workload experienced by the UK delegation in the run up to and during the summit itself, the FCO needed to balance the issue of sustainability against the organisational requirements of the event. In the majority of cases this meant UK officials travelling to Gleneagles in the shortest time possible.
	153 UK officials travelled to and from Scotland by aeroplane. One UK official travelled to and from Scotland by train. Three Ministers, my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn), and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Lord Triesman of Tottenham), also travelled to Scotland by aeroplane. They travelled to and from the Gleneagles Hotel by a combination of helicopters and cars. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary travelled to and from the Gleneagles Hotel by helicopter in order to chair the meeting while the Prime Minister returned to London on 7 July 2005.
	The FCO examined other ways to minimise the environmental impacts caused by delegates' travel. 144 UK officials travelled to and from the airports of arrival and departure to the Gleneagles Hotel by high occupancy vehicles including coach or people carrier. Only a small number of these officials accompanied delegations on their helicopter transfers during the summit. Nine UK officials accompanied the Prime Minister and travelled to and from the Gleneagles Hotel by helicopter. In addition, the G8 Climate Change Unit in Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are currently in the process of calculating the level of carbon emissions attributable to the summit. These will be offset by investing in small-scale Clean Development Mechanism projects, with strong sustainable development benefits, located in Africa.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa (Debt Relief)

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what conditions he has attached to debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries in Africa.

Hilary Benn: Debt relief is provided to enable countries to make faster progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. It is essential therefore that the resources made available by the relief are used for poverty reduction. In providing debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, the UK abides by the standards agreed internationally. Under these standards, countries must demonstrate a sustained commitment to poverty reduction and macroeconomic stability as part of an International Monetary Fund programme, Macroeconomic stability is critical to provide a foundation for growth, avoid adverse effects of inflation on the poor and to protect Government expenditure that benefits the poor. The debt stock cancellation recently proposed by the G8 would also use these standards.

Belize

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government are giving to the Government in Belize (a) to tackle corruption and (b) to combat the trafficking of drugs; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The UK Government's principal support to the Government of Belize (GoB) has been relief on its aid debts under the Commonwealth Debt Initiative. This relief is provided to GoB on the basis of its progress in controlling corruption and improving governance, economic management and poverty reduction. It also serves as a tool to encourage greater civil society participation in the GoB's policy. The UK Government are also providing a Strategic Fund for the GoB (£200,000 per year) to help improve their ability to undertake governance reforms, develop medium term economic plans and identify ways to reduce poverty. The Small Grants Scheme, and other programme funds for Belize, provides a further £35,000 a year that can be used for projects with civil society.
	Although Belize is not specifically a major transit country for drugs destined for the UK, we do continue to help combat drug trafficking on a regional basis within Central America and the Caribbean. As part of CARICOM (the Caribbean Community), Belize benefits from the recently agreed UK/CARICOM co-operation plan that encompasses work on border security, intelligence and information sharing, maritime co-operation and a human resource development strategy. This partnership assists Caribbean states to combat drug trafficking. The UK also funds the training of Belizean officials on regional and UK drug specific training courses.

Departmental Conferences

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Department spent on (a) organising and (b) sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: This information is not available and to obtain it would incur a disproportionate cost.

English Wine

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will ensure that English wine is made available at dinners, receptions and parties he hosts at which hospitality involving wine is appropriate (a) during the EU presidency and (b) generally; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: All procurement within DFID is undertaken in line with the EC's procurement rules and to obtain value for money for the Department. Where possible British products are used, and our in-house catering contractors can offer a range of British items.
	Planning for EU presidency events is ongoing and we are considering, where possible and while taking value for money into account, using British products including where appropriate, English wine.

Microfinance/Financial Sector Development

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to increase the number of countries receiving aid aimed at financial sector and microfinance development; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 19 July 2005
	DFID is funding financial sector development programmes, including microfinance, in 25 countries. Four new financial sector programmes are currently being designed in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. DFID also funds international agencies that actively support microfinance and financial sector development, such as the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation and the Asian Development Bank.
	DFID supports the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), which is increasing its regional presence in support of good practice microfinance. In the Middle East and North Africa, the CGAP is expanding its training programmes in microfinance and sharing its expertise to develop good practice in the region.
	The European Union (EU) is launching a new initiative to develop its support to microfinance in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP). DFID will contribute 12.7 per cent. of the €15 million European Development Fund. 71 countries, most of them low income countries, should be able to benefit.
	DFID is a principal supporter of the multi-donor global Financial Sector Reform and Strengthening (FIRST) Initiative, which provides technical assistance in all areas of financial sector development. FIRST is developing a strategy to increase its coverage of low income countries.
	DFID is contributing £3 million to a new International Financial Corporation (IFC) facility. This facility (Private Enterprise Partnership for the Middle East and North Africa) supports financial institutions engaged in micro-enterprises and in small and medium-sized enterprise development. The Partnership has staff on the ground in the region, notably in Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, the West Bank and Gaza and Yemen. It has approved seven major technical assistance programmes that will benefit 13 countries in the region.
	DFID is working with the World Bank and others to improve data on access to financial services in developing countries, including through microfinance, and plans to conduct financial access surveys in a number of African countries. This data will be important for the design of more effective policies and programmes to extend microfinance and develop financial systems.
	The United Nations have declared 2005 as the International Year of Microcredit. The impact of microfinance is greatest when poor people have access to a wide range of financial services (savings, credit, insurance and transfer payments) that they use to invest in health, education, nutrition, businesses and other opportunities and protect themselves against shocks faced by the households and the wider community.
	Remittances are a critical and growing source of income for many millions of poor people. DFID is developing programmes of remittance activities with a number of developing countries, including Bangladesh, Ghana and Nigeria. We are also supporting the expansion of the www.sendmoneyhome.org website that provides information to diaspora in the UK wishing to send remittances.

Microfinance/Financial Sector Development

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding is allocated to international initiatives promoting financial sector development in (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06 and (c) 2006–07.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 19 July 2005
	During 2004–05, DFID funded over £30 million directly to microfinance or financial sector development programmes. DFID also funded microfinance and financial sector development through multi-sectoral programmes and indirectly through its support to international agencies. Multi-sectoral programmes may include a component on financial sector development as part of a range of activities to promote private sector development for example, or as part of a wider programme to improve rural livelihoods.
	A number of the international agencies that DFID supports are active in promoting microfinance and financial sector development. The World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and several regional development banks all provide significant funding or technical assistance in these areas. This is indirect DFID support however, for which we do not have the necessary level of disaggregation of figures to provide an estimate of the total going towards microfinance and financial sector development.
	We are not able to give exact figures for 2005–06 and 2006–07. DFID's departmental report presents an indicative budget for what it plans to spend over the next three years, but this is not broken down into specific sectors. Spending is also affected by the pace of implementation of existing programmes and initiation of new programmes.
	DFID views access to financial services, and stable and secure financial systems, as important to achieving the millennium development goals.

Microfinance/Financial Sector Development

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many UK companies are involved in joint microfinance projects with his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID does not have 'joint' microfinance projects with UK companies. DFID does contract companies to provide technical or management services where appropriate, through open competition. A UK company manages the Financial Deepening Challenge Fund that supports the expansion of microfinance in developing countries.
	In the last year DFID's headquarters and country offices have used UK consulting firms on microfinance projects on a number of occasions, for example to prepare and teach a training course, to conduct reviews of projects, and to conduct a survey of microfinance data.
	There are three UK consulting firms on the panel of UK and international consultants that are selected for technical assistance projects in the area of microfinance by the DFID-supported global Financial Sector Reform and Strengthening (FIRST) Initiative, The FIRST Initiative itself is managed by a UK company.
	DFID has also directly supported microfinance initiatives by companies through the Financial Deepening Challenge Fund. One UK-based telecommunications company received a grant through this Challenge Fund.

G8 Summit

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of the recommendations of the Commission for Africa were met in the communique" of the recent G8 summit.

Hilary Benn: G8 Heads signed up to all of the major recommendations set out in the Commission for Africa report that are relevant to their countries. Further information can be obtained in the document entitled 'The Commission for Africa Report vs. the Gleneagles Communique" on Africa', copies of which I have arranged to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

G8 Summit

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what payments agreed at the G8 summit at Gleneagles will be made available to the Palestinian Authority in 2005.

Hilary Benn: The G8 expressed support at the Gleneagles summit for Mr. James Wolfensohn, Quartet Special Envoy for Disengagement, to stimulate a global financial contribution of up to $3 billion per year over the coming three years. The expectation is that most of this will be delivered in 2006 and beyond. It will come from public and private sources and will assist the Palestinian economic regeneration and governance reform following Israeli disengagement from Gaza and parts of the northern West Bank. International financial support will depend on the Palestinian Authority (PA) providing a credible financial plan for development, with guarantees of fiscal prudence and transparency. The UK is working closely with Mr. Wolfensohn and the PA to help develop their plans and to ensure that our assistance is targeted at the highest priorities.

G8 Summit

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what conditions were attached to the offer of aid to the poorest nations in Africa following the agreement at the G8 summit.

Hilary Benn: The additional aid agreed for Africa by the G8 will be used to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and to help achieve the objectives agreed in the Communique. G8 leaders agreed that aid will be focused on countries where it will make a difference, particularly low-income countries which are committed to growth and poverty reduction, to democratic, accountable and transparent government, and to sound public financial management.

HIV (South Africa)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes his Department operates in South Africa to assist those who are HIV positive.

Hilary Benn: DFID operates a number of programmes in support of those who are HIV positive in South Africa, They include:
	A £30 million, four-year mult-isectoral framework programme on HIV/AIDS which works with partners in national and provincial governments, civil society and the private sector to strengthen the South African response to HIV/AIDS.
	A commitment of £13 million over five years to the South African multimedia NGO called 'Soul City' for its HIV/AIDS prevention work and to support its expansion into a further eight countries in the region.
	£20 million over three years to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for their work with orphans and vulnerable children in east and southern Africa, South Africa is one beneficiary of this grant.

IMF/World Bank

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking (a) to ensure that the (i) International Monetary Fund and (ii) World Bank are more transparent and accountable to parliaments in developing countries and (b) to promote oversight of each of those institutions by the parliaments of developing countries.

Hilary Benn: DFID recognises the importance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank being transparent and accountable to parliaments in developing countries. Clearly, such accountability needs to be at the heart of their relationship.
	The main means by which parliaments should engage with the World Bank and the IMF activities is through the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) process. This is a national strategy for development that sets the agenda, which donors, including the World Bank, should follow in each country.
	It is true that, in the past, parliamentary engagement in the PRS process has often been weak. However, over the past two years, DFID country offices have begun to support stronger engagement by parliamentarians in the PRS process. We are providing active support for parliamentary engagement in Malawi and Tanzania, where an independent Monitoring Group was established to oversee the joint commitments made around the PRS.
	In Board meetings, DFID encourages the World Bank and the IMF to engage with parliaments as much as possible. We also actively push for them to make more of their documents public and will continue to pursue this both at board meetings and in discussions with staff. In fact, in March this year a new World Bank disclosure policy was approved which, among other things, makes board minutes public. The Bank is now working closely with parliamentarians in some of its borrowing member countries to involve them in the design and implementation of its lending programmes. The World Bank Institute has a major Parliamentary Strengthening Programme. A key objective is to strengthen the capacity of parliaments to scrutinise the allocation and use of public funds, and oversee the PRS. Since it began in 1996, it has held workshops in a range of countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya, Indonesia and Uganda to raise awareness among parliamentarians.
	The World Bank Institute has also supported the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) and the Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC) to encourage parliamentary scrutiny and action against corruption.
	Outside the PRS, the main means of oversight is the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank. This provides opportunities for parliaments to scrutinise the World Bank and engage more deeply in development policy issues. The independent Network has some 450 members from over 90 countries and facilitates direct dialogue between parliamentarians and the World Bank to achieve greater transparency of policies and practices.

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Hilary Benn: The following table contains details about the value of contracts issued to all consultants. We do not keep a central record for management consultants and this information cannot be provided except by incurring a disproportionate cost.
	Contracts are awarded in open competition according to the EU Procurement Regulations, based on best value for money.
	
		
			 Consultant Total issued value (£) 
		
		
			 2002–03  
			 Atos KPMG Consulting Limited 24,535,185 
			 The British Council 19,903,242 
			 HTS Consultants (formerly Hunting Technical Services Limited) 16,069,402 
			 Charles Kendall & Partners Limited 12,979,117 
			 Maxwell Stamp PLC 12,308,085 
			 2003–04  
			 Maxwell Stamp PLC 49,719,364 
			 WSP International Ltd. 14,465,029 
			 Futures Group Europe Ltd. 13,870,550 
			 Deloitte & Touche South Africa 13,100,000 
			 British Council (UK) 12,293,273 
			 2004–05  
			 Family Health International 21,341,899 
			 Charles Kendall & Partners Ltd. 18,279,290 
			 Chemonics 15,159,370 
			 HLSP Ltd. 14,184,512 
			 British Council (UK) 11,999,359

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within his Department.

Hilary Benn: DFID do not maintain central records of expenditure saved as a result of implementing recommendations from management consultants. DFID's headquarters and overseas offices use consultants for a wide range of management tasks, mainly to increase the quality of our assistance to development partners. The financial value of these as savings could not be calculated without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Nepal

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Nepal Safer Motherhood Project; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The DFID-funded Nepal Safer Motherhood Project operated in nine of the 75 districts of Nepal from March 1997 until September 2004. The project was implemented in partnership with the Department of Health Services, and the Ministry of Health, with a total budget of £5.8 million. The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in Nepal is estimated at 539 per 100,000 live births, according to a 1996 survey. Given the methodological difficulties in measuring MMR, levels of skilled attendance at birth and Emergency Obstetric Care are taken as proxies for MMR. The project completion data revealed that within the project supported districts there was an increase in skilled attendance at birth from 3.05 per cent. (1997–98 Nepal fiscal year July to June) to 17.81 per cent. (2003–04). In addition there was an average annual increase of 1.3 per cent. in met need for accessing Emergency Obstetric Care, thus demonstrating that lives had been saved.
	An evaluation completed in November 2004 assessed the project as having contributed to a national increased percentage of deliveries by skilled attendants from a 1997–98 baseline of 3.6 per cent. to 18.3 per cent. in 2003–04. Similarly, the project had contributed to a national increase in Emergency Obstetric Care from a baseline survey of 5 per cent. in 2000 to 14.8 per cent. in 2003–04.
	Building on this success, DFID has contributed £20 million to help the Government of Nepal implement its Safer Motherhood Programme. This programme aims to extend quality services to all 75 districts over the period 2004 to 2009. The conflict in Nepal makes it harder to deliver programmes effectively, but health services do continue to function and it should still be possible to reduce MMR further through the programme.

Sierra Leone

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that funding from his Department for SierraLeone is used for the purposes for which it is intended;
	(2)  what steps the Government are taking to ensure that funding from the UK to Sierra Leone is used for the purposes for which it is intended.

Hilary Benn: DFID is currently providing £40 million annually to Sierra Leone. Our assistance is provided through a ten year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL), which includes benchmarks for progress on reform. These benchmarks are agreed between the UK and the Government of Sierra Leone on an annual basis and progress is reviewed regularly, They cover areas such as action on corruption, and sound financial management. These reforms aim to increase the effectiveness of our aid by strengthening systems of transparency and accountability. The MOU has been key to achieving progress on a range of issues, including establishment of the Office of Auditor General as an independent agency outside the civil service; successful completion of Sierra Leone's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and strengthening the power of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
	Progress against the benchmarks is also a factor in determining the level and timing of our budget support, which we provide directly to the Government of Sierra Leone. Before we provide budget support, DFID insists upon a detailed fiduciary risk assessment (FRA) every three years, which includes an evaluation of the risk of corruption. In the interim, an annual statement of progress should be made to demonstrate the ongoing management of fiduciary risk and to meet audit discharge requirements. We have just completed a new FRA assessment for our programme of budget support to the country. At the project level we have rigorous auditing processes, and independent reviews of activities are conducted throughout the project cycle.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many displaced Sudanese he estimates have returned to the south of Sudan; what assistance with resettlement he has provided; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: According to the latest United Nations estimates, 500,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and refugees returned to southern Sudan during 2004. The 21-year civil war resulted in an estimated 500,000 people fleeing to neighbouring countries, and an estimated four million IDPs within South Sudan, This year the UN estimates that between 500,000 and 1.2 million people will return, including refugees from outside Sudan and IDPs. There are no accurate estimates of returns to date. The UN has recently prepared a draft operational plan for Support for Spontaneous Returns 2005–06. This details support to returnees on routes of return and in areas of return, including transport, food, non-food assistance, protection and information.
	DFID has provided £45 million to the UN 2005 Workplan for Sudan, over half of which has been allocated by the UN Humanitarian co-ordinator to support humanitarian operations and returns in the south.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding he has made available for the South Sudan Democratic Forum.

Hilary Benn: The South Sudan Democratic Forum (SSDF) is an umbrella organisation of opposition southern groups, including representatives of a number of southern parties outside of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). DFID is encouraging all groups in the south, including the SSDF, to participate in a process of dialogue and reconciliation, and welcomes the ongoing discussions between the SPLM and opposition groups. The most recent round of these discussions took place on 5 July 2005. DFID has not provided funding to the SSDF.

Sudan

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  when the respective G8 countries were first contacted on providing logistical support for the African Union mission in Darfur;
	(2)  what support to date has been provided by the G8 countries to the African Union mission in Darfur;
	(3)  whether the G8 countries have established a timeline for further deployment of African Union troops in Darfur;
	(4)  what (a) transport, (b) logistics and (c) financial management support the G8 countries have pledged to the African Union mission in Darfur.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	At the Gleneagles summit, G8 and African leaders issued a statement expressing their shared determination to see an end to the crisis in Darfur.
	Donors, including G8 members, have been providing logistical and financial assistance to the African Union (AU) mission in Darfur since its initial deployment in June 2004. At the High Level Donors' Conference in Addis on 26 May, the AU requested further assistance from the international community to support the expansion of its mission from 3,000 to more than 7,700. This will involve the deployment of additional troops, mostly from Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.
	It is for the AU, in co-ordination with the African troop contributors, to decide the timelines for deployment. The AU began the expansion on 1 July, and expects it to be completed by the end of September.
	G8 members are committed to supporting this expansion and have allocated more than $460 million for the AU mission to date. This includes a contribution of approximately $150 million from the US to build and maintain accommodation and offices for the AU staff, and almost $150 million from Canada, which has been used, inter alia, to provide helicopters. The UK has allocated approximately $60 million, much of which has been used to provide vehicles. Other G8 members have also provided assistance, including for communications equipment. G8 members have also seconded logisticians and military planners to assist the AU, and have provided airlift to get troops and equipment into Darfur. The European Commission has provided $93 million of support through the Africa Peace Facility. This has been used to fund catering, fuel, some medical costs, and to pay per diems.

Sudan

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance is being given by the UK (a) to re-house internally displaced persons and (b) to ensure the provision of clean drinking water for humanitarian settlements in Darfur.

Hilary Benn: The latest UN Humanitarian Needs Profile estimates that as of 1 June a total of over 2.9 million people in Darfur were affected by the crisis in Darfur and in need of humanitarian assistance. Of these, 1.9 million were internally displaced.
	Since September 2003, the Department for International Development has provided £90 million in humanitarian funding to Darfur through UN agencies and non-governmental organisations, These funds have, amongst other things, paid for shelter and non-food items, immediate health care, water and sanitation projects. Currently, almost £6 million has been allocated for water and sanitation activities for the population in camps and surrounding areas, and around £1.4 million for shelter and non-food items.

Tsunami (Sri Lanka)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made to the Sri Lankan Government on waiving the customs duty on all imports deemed to be contributing to the humanitarian aid effort.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to my previous response to her tabled parliamentary question of 6 July 2005, Official Report, column 469W.

Water and Sanitation

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the water and sanitation projects funded by his Department during financial years (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05; what the project aims and activities were; when each project was (i) awarded, (ii) started and (iii) completed; what the total cost of each project was; what his Department's contribution to the total costs was; and what the contributions to the total costs were from project contractors.

Hilary Benn: Details of DFID's water and sanitation projects in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05 can be found in the document entitled DFID Water and Sanitation Projects Funded During the Financial Years 2003–04 and 2004–05". It includes details of the project aims, as indicated by the title, total commitment, and expenditure by year. I have arranged for copies of this document to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	It is important to note that DFID also provides support for water and sanitation as an integral part of broader development projects, and through EC and other multilateral organisations. We do not routinely separate figures for sectors such as water from these projects, as this would incur non-essential administrative costs. However, our special report Financing DFID Support for the Water Sector 2002–04", which will be finalised in August, covers all water-related expenditure for the period 2001–02 to 2003–04.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

National Identity Register

Mark Todd: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what work his Department has undertaken in establishing possible suppliers of technologies to be used to implement the National Identity Register.

Andy Burnham: I have been asked to reply.
	The Identity Cards Programme is currently conducting pre-procurement market sounding in accordance with Office of Government Commerce (OGC) good practice guidance. This process involves assessing the reaction of the market to a proposed requirement and procurement approach. However, no formal procurement can commence until the Identity Cards Bill gains Royal Assent.
	Market sounding focuses on suppliers as a whole, rather than the merits of individual suppliers. It includes no element of supplier selection or bid evaluation. There is no commitment of any kind involved on either side or any advantage to be gained by a supplier getting involved.
	Should the Identity Cards Bill gain Royal Assent the procurement process, in compliance with EU and UK public procurement regulations, will encourage open competition and seek expressions of interest from the widest possible range of suppliers.

National Identity Register

Mark Todd: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what criteria will govern the tendering process for suppliers of technology to be used to implement the National Identity Register; and what steps his Department will take to ensure value for money

Andy Burnham: I have been asked to reply.
	The criteria against which tenders will be evaluated can only be published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) notice that formally commences the procurement, in accordance with EU and UK regulations.
	The development of these criteria will be supported by best practice guidance provided by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which are designed to ensure that the Government will obtain value for money by having the opportunity to examine, fully understand and improve through negotiation either the price or the quality of the proposals from the market for each element of the ID cards scheme.

National Identity Register

Mark Todd: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of potential contractors to deliver the functionality required for the technologies to be used to implement the National Identity Register; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I have been asked to reply.
	The Identity Cards Programme is currently in a pre-procurement market sounding phase, examining overall market capacity and capability in accordance with Office of Government Commerce good practice guidance.
	This process has prioritised those areas where technology is developing quickly, standards are evolving and there is uncertainty about future trends. The information gathered from these soundings augments technical and commercial knowledge already held by the programme through its use of technology experts and sharing of information with other Government Departments and agencies. Initial assessments have given reassurance that generally there is likely to be sufficient capability and capacity in the market for the technologies required by the scheme.
	Work to date has focused on suppliers as a whole, rather than the merits of individual suppliers. It includes no element of supplier selection or bid evaluation. There is no commitment of any kind involved on either side nor any advantage to be gained by a supplier by getting involved in the progress.

National Identity Register

Mark Todd: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make it his Department's policy to ensure that parliamentary approval is required before the contracts to deliver the technologies used to implement the National Identity Register are agreed.

Andy Burnham: I have been asked to reply.
	The procurement process for the National Identity Register cannot start until the Identity Cards Bill gains Royal Assent. The procurement process will comply with EU and UK public procurement regulations which will encourage open competition. Procurement will commence with the publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU) alerting potential suppliers and asking them to express an interest. We will be assessing the capabilities of individual potential contractors in the initial qualification phase of the procurement process following Office of Government Commerce (OGC) good practice guidelines. There will be opportunities through the secondary legislation required to implement elements of the scheme for Parliament to exercise further scrutiny of the operation of the scheme.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Service Pensions

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people employed in the civil service will have a compulsory retirement age of 65 under the Government's proposals; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: 80 per cent. of the civil service below the senior civil service now has the option to remain in work until age 65, while a further 11 per cent. has the option to remain in work on short service concessions. Departments and agencies which retain a retirement age of 60 are expected to continue to re-examine the issue.
	Legislation which will come into force in October 2006 will provide for a national default age of 65 after which an employer will not have to justify retiring someone on grounds of age. This will be subject to review after five years. To ensure compliance, the civil service is currently quality proofing its terms and conditions in this area to raise the retirement age of its employees, including the senior civil service, to 65. Those areas of the civil service which consider that they need to maintain a retirement age below 65 will only be able to do so if they can objectively justify this by reference to particular circumstances. It is anticipated, however, that this will be a negligible figure against the total number of permanent civil servants which, at 1 April 2004, was 523,580 (full-time equivalents).

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many letters to his Department from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

John Hutton: At 21 July, there were no outstanding unanswered letters for the timescales in question.
	The performance of individual Departments on the handling of correspondence from hon. Members and Peers is published on an annual basis. For information relating to performance for 2004, I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the then Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Miliband) on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns 137–40WS.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate the Valuation Office Agency has made of the number of residential properties in each local authority billing area in Wales that have moved up (a) one band, (b) two bands, (c) three bands and (d) four or more bands as a consequence of council tax revaluation in Wales.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Valuation Office Agency hold the statistics of the actual number, for each billing authority area in Wales, for band movements, following the council tax revaluation.
	These statistics are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Bands—Down by Stayed the same Bands—Up by 
			 Billing authority 4 or more 3 2 1  1 2 3 4 or more Total 
		
		
			 Isle of Anglesey 2 10 87 2,956 18,894 9,011 1,421 289 83 32,753 
			 Gwynedd 2 13 186 4,368 32,376 18,337 3,067 518 127 58,994 
			 Conwy 4 6 73 3,402 33,266 14,947 1,556 241 48 53,543 
			 Denbighshire 1 3 111 3,432 26,696 9,880 1,749 281 95 42,248 
			 Flintshire — — 18 1,406 36,716 22,044 2,659 347 111 63,301 
			 Powys (1) — 1 3 846 13,150 10,161 2,869 558 162 27,750 
			 Wrexham — — 8 696 25,140 25,447 3,464 500 136 55,391 
			 Cardiff — 5 43 2,839 47,011 67,775 17,923 921 58 136,575 
			 Bridgend — 10 132 10,226 36,039 10,782 717 81 16 58,003 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff — 11 879 17,596 68,367 14,392 1,245 136 49 102,675 
			 Vale of Glamorgan — 3 61 1,677 28,631 20,536 2,857 277 37 54,079 
			 Ceredigion 1 2 10 1,023 19,306 10,772 1,598 214 50 32,976 
			 Carmarthenshire (1) — — 24 1,273 15,898 7,466 975 218 54 25,908 
			 Carmarthenshire (2) 1 — 15 1,510 11,066 4,523 838 142 28 18,123 
			 Pembrokeshire — 1 31 1,518 34,264 16,747 2,245 376 106 55,288 
			 Powys (2) — 4 42 931 7,134 3,190 672 150 71 12,194 
			 Powys (3) — 1 71 2,034 10,883 5,137 1,036 292 114 19,568 
			 Caerphilly — — 145 7,705 46,939 17,289 1,600 94 31 73,803 
			 Merthyr Tydfil — — 132 3,790 18,285 3,160 121 15 4 25,507 
			 Monmouthshire — 1 2 1,816 20,769 13,231 2,031 362 99 38,311 
			 Blaenau Gwent — 1 43 5,738 23,457 2,057 63 8 4 31,371 
			 Newport — 1 12 2,788 37,233 18,142 1,376 199 40 59,791 
			 Torfaen — 1 17 1,897 28,307 8,434 368 62 17 39,103 
			 Carmarthenshire (3) — 2 8 2,009 20,909 11,235 475 46 18 34,702 
			 Swansea 1 5 198 11,212 67,059 22,531 2,142 212 46 103,406 
			 Neath Port Talbot 3 5 151 8,092 45,510 7,733 499 69 23 62,085 
			  15 86 2,502 102,780 773,305 374,959 55,566 6,608 1,627 1,317,448

Departmental Purchasing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the companies from which his Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each company.

John Hutton: Companies from which the Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the past three years, and the amount spent in respect of each company is shown in the tables.
	
		2002–03
		
			 Company Value (£) 
		
		
			 Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd/KPMG 7,957,212 
			 Balfour Beatty Refurbishment 10,641,130 
			 British Airways Plc 1,056,635 
			 British Telecommunications Plc 5,061,734 
			 Cable & Wireless Plc 8,749,856 
			 Capita 5,588,354 
			 Claybrook Computing Ltd. 2,086,104 
			 Computacenter (UK) Ltd 19,026,499 
			 Dell Computer Corporation Ltd. 2,837,549 
			 Drivers Jonas 1,812,368 
			 Ecovert FM 10,266,903 
			 Electronic Data Systems Ltd. 3,251,035 
			 GSL UK Limited 1,593,668 
			 HP Ltd. 12,493,443 
			 Josephine Sammons Limited 1,389,205 
			 Lambert SmithHampton 1,890,440 
			 Loudcloud UK Limited 2,471,028 
			 Microsoft Ltd. 9,522,755 
			 Nelson Bakewell Property 1,500,703 
			 Overbury Plc 1,845,659 
			 PA Consulting Group 4,198,308 
			 Parity Resources Ltd. 1,262,111 
			 Paymaster (1836) Ltd. 6,059,938 
			 Syntegra 2,172,243 
			 The Stationery Office Books 1,559,817 
		
	
	
		2003–04
		
			 Company Value (£) 
		
		
			 Allenbuild Ltd. 1,904,057 
			 Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd/KPMG 7,200,514 
			 British Airways Plc 1,203,456 
			 British Telecommunications Plc 5,474,556 
			 Cable & Wireless Plc 2,373,942 
			 Capita 6,085,067 
			 Claybrook Computing Ltd. 1,725,414 
			 Computacenter (UK) Ltd. 26,801,024 
			 Ecovert FM 12,878,366 
			 Electronic Data Systems Ltd. 6,533,102 
			 French Thornton 1,543,012 
			 HP Ltd . 11,644,190 
			 Initial Style Conferences Ltd. 5,104,740 
			 ITNet 5,918,669 
			 Josephine Sammons Limited 1,128,492 
			 Lambert SmithHampton 1,809,630 
			 Microsoft Ltd. 4,769,891 
			 Miller Construction (UK) Ltd. 2,894,346 
			 PA Consulting Group 3,524,339 
			 Parity Resources Ltd. 2,087,671 
			 SAIC Ltd. 1,093,454 
			 The Stationery Office Books 1,237,266 
		
	
	
		2004–05
		
			 Company Value (£) 
		
		
			 Alfred McAlpine Business Services 1,127,945 
			 Allenbuild Ltd. 1,555,699 
			 Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd/KPMG 6,457,709 
			 BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd. 1,025,658 
			 British Telecommunications Plc 6,274,347 
			 Cable & Wireless Plc 4,563,044 
			 Capita 5,225,430 
			 Charteris 1,037,942 
			 Claybrook Computing Ltd. 1,604,495 
			 Computacenter (UK) Ltd. 16,949,045 
			 Detica Ltd. 1,448,154 
			 Ecovert FM 20,421,150 
			 Electronic Data Systems Ltd. 6,339,853 
			 French Thornton 2,161,947 
			 HP Ltd . 12,073,414 
			 IBM United Kingdom Ltd. 1,345,051 
			 Initial Style Conferences Ltd. 5,122,133 
			 Insight Management & Systems 1,048,426 
			 Josephine Sammons Limited 1,290,688 
			 Lambert SmithHampton 1,502,878 
			 Liric Associates Ltd. 1,009,350 
			 Miller Construction (UK) Ltd. 3,240,306 
			 Nelson Bakewell Property 2,056,013 
			 PA Consulting Group 1,672,114 
			 Parity Resources Ltd. 4,169,120 
			 Simmons & Simmons 1,035,536 
			 The Stationery Office Books 1,196,225 
		
	
	These figures cover core Cabinet Office and the National School of Government, but exclude the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Drugs Report

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish in full the Strategy Unit Drugs Report dated 13 June 2003.

John Hutton: The parts of the report that are eligible for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act are available on the Strategy Unit website.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by the Cabinet Office in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

John Hutton: The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years.

John Hutton: The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the management consultants employed by his Department in each of the last three years.

John Hutton: The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Accounting System

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether a request for a proposal has been issued by the Department for the conversion or replacement of the Courts Fund Office Funds Accounting System; and what the time scale is for conversion or replacement.

Harriet Harman: The Court Funds Office has not issued a request for a proposal relating to the renewal of its IT systems, but it has entered into discussions to extend the existing contract to the end of 2006. The current contract with Liberata expires at the end of 2005. Any extensions of the contract must first be offered to Liberata—hence the CFO has not issued a request for proposal to a broader audience. Replacement has not been considered at this time.

Accounting System

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the costs of maintainingthe Data General Computer and Funds Accounting System used by the Court Funds Office was in 2004–05.

Harriet Harman: The Funds Accounting System used by the Court Funds Office runs on the Data General Computer Platform. The Data General Platform runs four separate applications serving the following organisations:
	The Fund Accounting System (FAS) for the Court Funds Office and the Public Guardianship Office
	The Trust Accounting and Banking system (TABS) for the Official Solicitors and Public Trustee and the Public Guardianship Office
	The Receivership Accounts (REACTS) for the Official Solicitors and Public Trustee
	The Cash Reconciliation System (CASREC) for the Public Guardianship Office
	The share of total costs for the Data General Platform between the three organisations in 2004–05 is as follows CFO £831,216, OSPT £308,145 and PGO £99,333:
	The costs break down as follows:
	
		
			  Operations (£) 
		
		
			 Data general  
			 CFO 109,401 
			 OSPT 218,802 
			 PGO 36,467 
			 Total 364,670 
			   
			 Staff costs  
			 CFO 560,708 
			 OSPT 0 
			 PGO 0 
			 Total 560,708 
			   
			 Third party contracts  
			 CFO 161,107 
			 OSPT 89,343 
			 PGO 62,866 
			 Total 313,316 
			   
			 Total cost  
			 CFO 831,216 
			 OSPT 308,145 
			 PGO 99,333 
			 Total 1,238,694 
		
	
	These costs exclude costs incurred by the CFO, OSPT and PGO on business analysis and service level monitoring. They also exclude the opportunity cost and risks that the contract with Liberata (and in turn Unisys) imposes on the CFO, OSPT and PGO as Liberata (and in turn Unisys) have no obligation to upgrade the applications, the operating system and hardware to eliminate technology risks.
	An earlier parliamentary question requesting clarification regarding renewal of the CFO IT systems was lodged by the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), and a written response was made on 26 July 2005.
	There have been no other PQ's lodged by the hon. Member in this Session related to this area. There is no major IT company in his constituency.

Asylum and Immigration

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many cases have (a) been received, (b) been allocated case numbers, (c) remained unallocated and (d) been determined by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in each quarter of the last five years for which records are available; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: Figures from the records of the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA), which was superseded by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) on 4 April 2005 upon commencement of section 26 of The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004, show the volume of receipts and determinations—for all case types at the adjudicator tier—to be as follows:
	
		
			  Receipts Promulgations 
		
		
			 2000–01   
			 Quarter 1 7,808 5,332 
			 Quarter 2 13,377 6,577 
			 Quarter 3 10,531 9,520 
			 Quarter 4 14,222 12,797 
			 Total 45,938 34,226 
			
			 2001–02   
			 Quarter 1 15,481 12,318 
			 Quarter 2 15,672 14,757 
			 Quarter 3 18,041 16,941 
			 Quarter 4 19,431 17,800 
			 Total 68,625 61,816 
			
			 2002–03   
			 Quarter 1 19,348 20,251 
			 Quarter 2 24,731 23,931 
			 Quarter 3 22,887 22,277 
			 Quarter 4 24,979 26,482 
			 Total 91,945 92,941 
			 2003–04   
			 Quarter 1 24,869 25,083 
			 Quarter 2 28,605 27,581 
			 Quarter 3 27,106 29,202 
			 Quarter 4 26,860 28,357 
			 Total 107,440 110,223 
			
			 2004–05   
			 Quarter 1 26,689 26,541 
			 Quarter 2 29,748 26,374 
			 Quarter 3 28,055 27,948 
			 Quarter 4 24,813 24,727 
			 Total 109,305 105,590 
		
	
	Appeals are allocated a case number upon entry onto the database. The figures provided therefore also demonstrate the number of all appeals allocated a case number in the last five years up to 31 March 2005.
	Following the commencement of the AIT, information on appeal receipts and determinations for the first quarter of 2005–06 is not yet available. From manual assessments, approximately 13,000 visit visa appeals received after 4 April 2005 are awaiting case number allocation.

Asylum and Immigration

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what length of time was required (a) to allocate a case number following receipt and (b) to reach a determination by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in the case of Mr. Abolade Amuleya; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The records of the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA), which was superseded by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) on 4 April 2005 upon commencement of section 26 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004, indicate that appeal papers were received from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) on 11 July 2003. The case was allocated an appeal number on the date of receipt.
	The final determination recorded, following the appellant's application of 25 September 2003 for permission to appeal to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal (IAT), was issued on 23 October 2003.

Burial Grounds Survey

Charles Walker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  for what reasons the Burial Grounds Survey was issued by the Home Office;
	(2)  what the average cost to her Department is of processing a response to the Home Office Burial Grounds Survey; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to her answer dated 14 July 2005, Official Report, column 1298, what aspects of burial law and practice will be covered by the wider review referred to; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The survey was issued by the Home Office in accordance with the commitment in the Government's response to the Environment Select Committee report on cemeteries. The average cost of processing the responses will not be known until the exercise has been completed.
	The main aspects of burial law and practice under review were highlighted in the Home Office consultation paper Burial Law and Policy in the 21st Century: The Need for a Sensitive and Sustainable approach", a copy of which is available from the House of Commons Library.

Child Abduction

Theresa May: To ask the Minister of State Department for Constitutional Affairs what (a) representations she has received and (b) discussions she has had on difficulties faced by parents of children abducted abroad in claiming legal and/or departmental representation.

Harriet Harman: As the Central Authority for the operation of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the Lord Chancellor from time to time receives representations from interested parties and an open dialogue is maintained. The cost of an application for the return of a child is often a matter of concern to parents. In most countries no payment for legal proceedings is required for applications made under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The Central Authority for the Convention provides information regarding legal costs in specific countries. There is no charge for the services provided by the Central Authority, including the translation of documents necessary to an application under the Convention. In countries where legal aid is not generally available efforts are made by the receiving Central Authority, in cases of financial need, to provide legal representation for applicants either at a reduced rate or free of charge.

Child Abduction

Theresa May: To ask the Minister of State Department for Constitutional Affairs what measures her Department has in place to ensure that the parents of children abducted abroad are given full and appropriate legal advice.

Harriet Harman: The Lord Chancellor is the Central Authority in England and Wales for the operation of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil aspects of international child abduction. The operations are conducted by the Child Abduction and Contact Unit at the Office of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee and consists of five full-time case managers who are trained and experienced in the handling and operation of Hague Convention cases. The unit can be contacted by telephone, fax and e-mail and routinely provides advice to parents on all aspects of the Hague Convention and whether it can be applied to a particular case. The unit also maintains a website which provides information to parents regarding the Hague Convention and what they can do to try to prevent an abduction, what to do in the event of an abduction and how to apply to have contact with their children in another Hague country.
	The Unit has recently updated its leaflet on international child abduction, having regard to the recent changes in law and practice arising from the revised EU Regulation on Parental Responsibility (Brussels II bis) and has revised the information available on its website. These will provide a further opportunity for advice to left-behind parents.

Civil Legal Aid Contracts

William McCrea: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what percentage of solicitors firms in Northern Ireland, offered civil legal aid contracts, refused them in each of the last five years, broken down by county

Bridget Prentice: Civil legal aid in Northern Ireland is not provided through a contracting environment.

Contractors

Ian Davidson: To ask the Minister of State Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list contractors based in other EU member states that are providing services to her Department.

Harriet Harman: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many letters to her Department from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

Bridget Prentice: My Department has answered all correspondence received in calendar year 2004. From 1 January to 29 July 2005, the Department received 1,820 letters from hon. Members and Peers, of which 26 are outstanding and up to one month old. There is no correspondence more than one month old.
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The Report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns 137–40WS. From 1 January to 29 July 2005, the Department answered 93 per cent. of correspondence within target.

Courthouse (Colchester)

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 179W, on courthouse (Colchester), when she plans to publish the business strategy for the Court Service in Essex, and whether it remains her intention to build a new courthouse in Colchester.

Harriet Harman: When my Department has finalised its investment plans and developed a national business strategy for Her Majesty's Courts Service, now expected by autumn 2005, an announcement will be made shortly thereafter.
	Although the priority of individual schemes in the court building programme will vary, at this stage there is nothing to suggest that the component parts of the Essex PFI scheme will not be included in future investment plans. As stated in my previous answer, the Essex magistrates court scheme, of which Colchester is part, continues to be within the programme of new court projects.

Election Communications

Sarah Teather: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what regulations govern the content of election communications distributed by the Royal Mail.

Harriet Harman: Section 91 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, currently provides that material used in election addresses should relate to the election only. As a matter of principle, the Government do not believe that it would be appropriate to prescribe too closely what candidates may or may not include in their election communications, and believe that the Representation of the People Act 1983, along with the existing laws governing publications and copyright, already cover any possible complaints that may arise about the contents of election addresses.
	The Royal Mail publishes guidance for candidates on what the law allows to ensure that election addresses adhere to the electoral, publication and copyright laws.

Election Voting

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 868W, on election voting, whether any Commonwealth country has reciprocal measures in place with the United Kingdom to allow British nationals, when resident in that country, to vote in (a) local and (b) national elections.

Harriet Harman: There are no reciprocal arrangements with any other Commonwealth country. As I stated in my answer of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 868W, decisions about voting rights of British citizens resident in other Commonwealth countries are for the individual countries concerned.

Electoral Administration Bill

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what elements of the Electoral Administration Bill the Government intends to implement in time for the 2006 local elections.

Harriet Harman: The implementation of the proposals in the Electoral Administration Bill will depend on when the bill is introduced into Parliament and the passage of the bill through each parliamentary stage. However as outlined in the Electoral Administration Policy Paper, the Government does intend to implement as many changes as possible for the May 2006 local elections.

Equality and Diversity

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Department has spent promoting equality and diversity in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Harriet Harman: My Department is fully committed to the equality and diversity agenda and have policies and processes in place to ensure that there is no unfair discrimination on any grounds.
	My Department has a dedicated corporate diversity team. The aim of which is to ensure that my Department reflects the community, which we serve. Some of our recent initiatives include:
	New systems to enable compliance with diversity legislation;
	Developing policies: race equality scheme, disability equality scheme, guidance and toolkits, diversity impact assessments, translation policy;
	Staff potential and leadership projects
	Mainstreaming diversity into the services we provide to our clients
	Training
	Career progression for under-represented groups.
	Figures available for the corporate diversity team's budget are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2003–04 802,978 
			 2004–05 1,039,510 
			 2005–06 2,460,000 
			 2006–07 — 
		
	
	Figures are not available before 2003–04
	In addition to the above, my Department spends money on promoting equality and diversity in the legal profession and the judiciary and in many other parts of our activities.

Freedom of Information

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests have been answered by the Department; and in how many cases (a) information was wholly exempted, (b) information was partly exempted and (c) the requests were answered in full.

Harriet Harman: The Department for Constitutional Affairs is committed to publishing quarterly updates in relation to departmental performance under FOI, including information on both the volume and outcomes of requests. These reports cover all Departments of State.
	The first of these updates, covering the period January to March, was published on 23 June 2005 and can be found on both the DCA website at http://www.foi.gov.uk/statsjan-mar05.htm and in the House Library. The next bulletin is due in the autumn of this year. An annual report is also to be published in early 2006.

Travellers (Legal Aid)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the estimated cost of legal aid to Travellers has been in each year since 1997.

Bridget Prentice: It is not possible to identify individual grants of legal aid to Travellers and Gypsies in most categories of law because the Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not collect data about the ethnic group or lifestyle of recipients of legal aid. The LSC collects figures for legal aid for Travellers where the category of law or action arises out of their Traveller status.
	The Community Law Partnership has held a contract with the LSC to provide publicly funded services since January 2000. It has held a contract with the LSC since April 2002 to provide telephone advice to Gypsies and Travellers on housing matters, including eviction and planning enforcement actions. Its grants for this financial year and previous years have been as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 April 2002-March 2003 131,675 
			 April 2003-March 2004 131,675 
			 April 2004-March 2005 55,000 
			 April 2005-March 2006 55,000 
		
	
	The Ormiston Children and Families Trust and the Fenland Citizens Advice Bureau has received a Partnership Initiative Budget grant to pilot the provision of information and advice services on social welfare law specifically to Gypsies and Travellers in Cambridgeshire. LSC funding amounted to £5,050 in 2003–04, £21,700 in 2004–05 and £9,000 so far in 2005–06.
	Legal representation at planning applications and appeals is generally outside the scope of legal aid. However, since April 2000, funding can be made available in exceptional cases under section 6(8)(b) of the Access to Justice Act 1999, when the relevant criteria are satisfied, for example, where the case concerns the applicant's home. This protects the applicant's fundamental rights and ensures a fair hearing. It is not possible to give a precise figure for total costs but, since April 2000, the LSC has spent the following amounts (excluding legal help costs) on planning applications in relation to Traveller encampments.
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 April 2001-March 2002 (1)14,600 
			 April 2002-March 2003 (1)7,000 
			 April 2003-March 2004 0 
			 April 2004-March 2005 (1)23,644 
			 April 2005 to date (1)5,525.35 
		
	
	(1) Plus VAT

Magistrates Courts (Fines)

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was levied in fines by each magistrates court in the county of Greater Manchester in each of the last five years; how much was written off by each court; and what percentage of fines was collected by each court.

Harriet Harman: Information on fines imposed and collected is provided by the 42 HMCS areas in England and Wales and is not available centrally broken down by individual magistrates courts. The following table shows the total amounts imposed, total amounts written off and the payment rate in Greater Manchester for the last five financial years.
	Improving performance in the collection of fines is key for ensuring respect for the orders of the court and increasing confidence in the Criminal Justice System (CJS). Real progress has been made through a combination of legislative and non-legislative measures, with the full year payment rate for financial impositions in 2004–05 being 80 per cent. compared to a baseline of 69 per cent. at the end of the first quarter of 2003–04 and a target of 78 per cent.
	
		Enforcement of penalties—Greater Manchester
		
			 Financial year Amount imposed total (£) New amount owed total (£) Total amount written off (£) Payment rate(2) (percentage) 
		
		
			 April 2000-March 2001(3) 24,970,562 24,215,936 8,175,670 60 
			 April 2001-March 2002(3) 23,033,892 22,462,326 6,122,373 61 
			 April 2002-March 2003(3) 23,091,892 23,784,474 9,780,791 64 
			 April 2003-March 2004 20,876,507 20,732,753 6,415,937 64 
			 April 2004-March 2005 16,711,545 19,494,880 366,220 70 
		
	
	(2) The primary performance indicator is the payment rate. It is defined as the amount paid into court as a percentage of the new net amount owed.
	Payment rate = amount paid divided by new net amount owed
	Methods of calculating the new net amounts owed have changed over the last five years and are detailed as follows:
	September 1999 to March 2003—new net amount owed includes legally cancelled amounts, civil monies and confiscation orders
	April 2003 to December 2003—new net amount owed excludes legally cancelled amounts, civil monies and confiscation orders
	January 2004 to July 2004—new net amount owed excludes legally cancelled amounts, administratively cancelled amounts, civil monies and confiscation orders
	July 2004 onwards—new net amount owed excludes legally cancelled amounts, administratively cancelled amounts, civil monies and confiscation orders, but includes amounts written back
	(3) From April 2003 onwards, confiscation and civil amounts have not been included in any of the enforcement calculations. It is not possible to separate those elements out from the figures before that date.
	Note:
	As a result of these revisions, direct year-on-year comparisons cannot be made.

Marked Registers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to her answer of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column1305W, on marked registers, if she will place in the Library the service level agreement laid out in the contract specification between Pickfords and the Government.

Harriet Harman: As I stated in my answer of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1305W, my Department will supply a copy of the relevant sections of the specification to anyone who makes a request to see them. But commercially confidential information is embedded in the specification and it would not be appropriate to publish the whole of it, or possible to extract sections and repackage them into a comprehensible document.

Mental Health

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will summarise responses to the consultation document (a) Who Decides? Making decisions on behalf of mentally incapacitated adults and (b) Making Decisions: Helping people who have difficulty for themselves; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: In response to the wide consultation on 'Who Decides?', the Government published the policy statement Making decisions" in 1999, confirming that Government would legislate to reform the law on decision-making for people who lack capacity. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 received Royal Assent on 7 April.

Mental Health

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent discussions she has held with the Archbishop of Cardiff regarding the Mental Capacity Act 2005, with particular reference to (a) its implementation and (b) the draft Code of Practice to be introduced under the Act; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: There have been no recent discussions with the Archbishop of Cardiff about the implementation of the Act. We expect to publish the draft Code of Practice for consultation in spring 2006.

Mental Health

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) hon. Members, (b) Members of the House of Lords and (c) interested organisations concerning the development of policy on (i) assisted suicide, (ii) euthanasia and (c) the Mental Capacity Act 2005; if she will list those organisations; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: During the passage of the Mental Capacity Act Government Ministers had extensive discussions with a very wide range of groups and individuals, as well as hon. Members and Members of the House of Lords with an interest in capacity issues. We are continuing the open dialogue with stakeholders as work is taken forward to implement the Act.
	The Department of Health has responsibility for policy on assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she will answer Question reference 6175 from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam.

Harriet Harman: I answered the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam on 21 July 2005, Official Report column 1936W.

Postal Voting

Sarah Teather: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many complaints she has received from individuals regarding postal voting in (a) local, (b) general and (c) European elections in each year since 1997.

Harriet Harman: We do not keep a detailed breakdown of the number of individual complaints received about postal voting. As postal voting on demand was only introduced in 2001 we do not have records dating back to 1997. As far as I am aware, my Department received the following number of letters of complaints about postal voting and all-postal voting; seven in 2002, 13 in 2003, 249 in 2004 and 48 in 2005.

Private Finance Projects

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2005, Official Report, column 465W, on private finance projects, what total value of assets and liabilities for each of the listed private finance initiatives and public private partnerships is recorded on the Government balance sheet; what proportion of assets and liabilities is listed; what the accounting treatment is for assets and liabilities; and whether it is compatible with (a) generally-accepted accounting practices and (b) international financial reporting standards.

Harriet Harman: Of the PFI projects listed in my answer of 15 June, the ARAMIS project is not deemed to be an asset of this Department and is therefore not on the balance sheet. There is however, a debtor balance of £0.5 million, which is on the balance sheet. The National Probate Records project is also deemed to be off-balance sheet.
	The Net Book Value (NBV) of those assets deemed to belong to the Department and shown on the balance sheet as at 31 March 2005 are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 Project NBV 
		
		
			 LOGOS 2.0 
			 LIBRA 12.1 
			 East Anglia Courts 28.4 
			 Exeter Crown and County Court 20.8 
			 Sheffield Family Hearing Centre 5.3 
		
	
	These figures are subject to formal approval from the National Audit Office.
	Where an asset is deemed to belong to the Department then the full value of the asset will be recognised.
	There are also prepayments of £11.6 million recognised as assets along with liabilities of £57.6 million.
	It is yet to be determined between the Department and the National Audit Office (NAO) as to whether or not the Magistrates courts PFI Schemes will be recognised on the Departments balance sheet, so it is not possible at the present time to give the value of any associated assets or liabilities.
	The accounting policies adhered to are those contained in the Resource Accounting Manual (RAM). This is determined by decisions made by the Financial Reporting Advisory Board whose aim is to update the RAM in line with any changes to Financial Reporting Standards. International Accounting Standards have not been fully integrated so there may be some differences in accounting treatment.

Remote Electronic Voting

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1306W, on remote electronic voting, what criteria the Government will use to decide whether or not to hold electronic voting pilots in the 2006 elections.

Harriet Harman: The Government have decided not to invite applications from local authorities to conduct electronic voting pilots in the May 2006 local elections. We consider this position appropriate at the current time as we are concentrating on changes to enhance security for existing postal voting provisions and make changes to improve accessibility within the traditional voting system.
	However, the hon. Member will be aware that we cannot stop applications for pilots being made as there is a legislative duty to consider any such application originated by a local authority.

Select Committee Report (Cemeteries)

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Environment, Transport and Regional Government Select Committee Report on Cemeteries which the Government accepted.

Harriet Harman: Progress on many of the Select Committee's recommendations has been dependent on the work that has been undertaken to assess the capacity of existing burial grounds and to consult on possible changes to burial law and practice. I expect the results of the former to be available later this year. The results of the latter are being assessed, and I will announce in due course how we intend to proceed in the light of the helpful and wide-ranging views which have been received.
	In the meantime, the advisory group which the Government said it would establish has met regularly over the last four years and has made a significant contribution to the work programme. One example is the draft guidance on burial ground management which we expect to publish later this year. Work on guidance regarding memorial safety is in hand.

Tax Returns

Michael Wills: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, which organisation collates information on the percentage of appeals against penalties imposed for late submission of tax returns upheld by the General Commissioners in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003 and (e) 2004

Harriet Harman: No organisation collates information centrally on the percentage of appeals against penalties imposed for late submission of tax returns upheld by the General Commissioners. The Department for Constitutional Affairs (which is the sponsoring Department for the General Commissioners) does collate information on the overall number of appeals across all categories upheld by the General Commissioners but it is not possible to extract from this figures on appeals against penalties imposed for late submission of tax returns.

Websites

Sarah Teather: To ask the Minister of State Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list websites that come under her Department's responsibility; and what the (a) cost and (b) number of visits was for each in the last year for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: The information requested is listed in the following table.
	
		Websites
		
			   2004–05 
			 Organisation Site address Costs(4) (£) Visits 
		
		
			 Asylum and Immigration Tribunal www.ait.gov.uk (5)15,707 458,138 
			 Civil Justice Council www.civiljusticecouncil.gov.uk (5)— 576,670 
			 Commission for Judicial Appointments www.cja.gov.uk (5)— 13,228 
			 Community Legal Service www.clsdirect.org.uk 443,000 901,930 
			 Council on Tribunals www.council-on-tribunais.gov.uk (5)— 54,314 
			 Court Service www.courtservice.gov.uk (5)288,000 6,044,725 
			 Criminal Courts Review www.criminal-courts-review.org.uk (5)— 57,529 
			 Department for Constitutional Affairs www.dca.gov.uk (5)— 3,186,965 
			 Family Justice Council www.familyjusticecouncil.org.uk (5)— n/a 
			 Finance and Tax Tribunals www.financeandtaxtribunals.gov.uk (5)15,962 189,135 
			 Gender Recognition Panel www.grp.gov.uk (5)4,930 30,052 
			 General Commissioners of Income Tax www.tribunalsservice.gov.uk/gcit (5)13,930 n/a 
			 Hutton Inquiry www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk (5)— 180,493 
			 Immigration Services Tribunal www.immigrationservicestribunal.gov.uk (5)15,962 24,544 
			 Judicial Studies Board www.jsboard.co.uk (5)— 222,566 
			 Land Registry www.landreg.gov.uk 11,752 2,828,438 
			 Lands Tribunal www.landstribunal.gov.uk (5)15,962 79,829 
			 Law Commission www.lawcom.gov.uk (5)— 370,729 
			 Legal Services Commission www. legalservices.gov. uk 33,000 896,081 
			 Legal Services Research Centre www.lsrc.org.uk 118 n/a 
			 Legal Services Review www.legal-services-review.org.uk (5)— n/a 
			 Magistrates Court Service Inspectorate www.mcsi.gov.uk (5)— 69,481 
			 National Archives www.nationalarchives.gov.uk 316,734 5,633,731 
			 National Archives other sites: family records, learning curve, a2a,  Moving Here, Census Various (6)— n/a 
			 Northern Ireland Court Service www.courtsni.gov.uk 839,835 544,800 
			 Office of Legal Services Ombudsman www.olso.org 2,316 103,172 
			 Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner www.olscc.gov.uk (5)— 5,840 
			 Official Solicitor and Public Trustee www.offsol.demon.co.uk 141 n/a 
			 Pensions Appeal Tribunals www.pensionsappealtribunals.gov.uk (5)15,962 40,645 
			 Public Guardianship Office www.guardianship.gov.uk 297 n/a 
			 Social Security and Child Support Commissioners www.osscsc.gov.uk (5)17,632 288,426 
			 Transport Tribunal www.transportthbunal.gov.uk (5)15,962 30,025 
			 Tribunals Review www.tribunals-review.org.uk (5)— 4,112 
		
	
	(4) Staff costs are not included (unless otherwise stated), and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	(5) The sites hosted by Cable and Wireless under contract. The hosting element of this is £555,096 per annum.
	(6) Complex arrangements with various partners. National Archives contribution assessable only at disproportionate cost.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Maternity Leave

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if the Government will take steps to simplify the administration of maternity leave for employers.

Meg Munn: The DTI consultation, Work and Families Choice and Flexibility, looked at ways of helping employers plan ahead more effectively, such as increasing the notice periods for changing return dates an employee gives whilst on maternity leave and improving communication between women and employers before and during maternity leave. It also sought stakeholders' help in finding ways of simplifying the system of maternity and adoption leave and pay.
	The consultation closed at the end of May and we are currently considering the responses.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Association of Trade Advisers

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether international trade advisers employed by the regional development authorities are consulting the Association of Trade Advisers on export development opportunities; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: UK Trade and Investment has no knowledge of an Association of Trade Advisers and we are not aware of any contacts between UK Trade and Investment International Trade Advisers and such an organisation.

Company Legislation

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the additional administrative cost, per confidentiality order, of making the effects of section 723B of the Companies Act retrospective.

Barry Gardiner: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has considered the issue of making the effects of section 723B retrospective and has concluded that it is not feasible to do so. This decision was not reached on the basis of the additional administrative cost of doing so. The main reason was that once information has been entered on the public record at Companies House it is disseminated widely, not only to individual members of the public but also through large commercial business information providers. Therefore, even if it were possible for Companies House to expunge the historical information successfully, it would still be in the public domain and available from a wide range of sources.

Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies in his Department was.

Alan Johnson: This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in the (i) Moray constituency and (ii) Highland region was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Dundee East constituency, (ii) Tayside and (iii) the City of Dundee was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Banff and Buchan and (ii) the North East of Scotland was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Angus constituency and (ii) Tayside in 2004–05.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in Perth and North Perthshire was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: A detailed analysis of the Department's expenditure by specific geographical location cannot be provided other than at disproportionate cost.
	However, information on regional distribution of staff at 1 April 2004 is available in the Libraries of the Houses, and also at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/stat istical_information/statistics/contents_for_civil_service_statist ics_2004_report/index.asp
	Table D shows the numbers of staff by regional distribution. Figures relating to 1 April 2005 will be published next year.

Energy Supplies (Annual Report)

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to lay the Annual Report on Energy Supplies before Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The first annual report on the security of gas and electricity supply in Great Britain will be laid before Parliament on Thursday 21 July. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House and on the Department's website at
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/publications/policy/index.shtml.

Fair Trade

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether conditions will be imposed upon countries in Africa following the agreement at the G8 summit to create fairer trade.

Ian Pearson: The outcome of the G8 summit will not impose conditions on Africa.
	The G8 summit agreed a comprehensive plan to support the progress Africa has made in recent years. This includes helping to build Africa's capacity to trade, for which the EU has pledged €1 billion per year. Leaders also committed to provide resources and training to help African producers meet current and new health and safety standards for food exports and other products; to support African efforts to increase South-South trade and regional integration; and to improve the utilisation of G8 preference schemes, reporting back on progress to future presidencies.
	The G8 emphasised that a successful conclusion to the WTO Doha Development Agenda (DDA) will be one of the most effective ways to generate economic growth, create potential for development and raise living standards across the world. The World Bank estimates that completing these negotiations could lift 140 million people out of poverty. Leaders committed to continue to work towards ensuring there is appropriate flexibility in the DDA negotiations.

Female Senior Management

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many women he estimates are employed at senior managerial level in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In spring 2005 1.2 million females in the UK were employed as managers or senior officials; this is 10.1 per cent. of female employees in the UK.
	In the same period 91,000 females in Scotland were employed as managers or senior officials; this is 8.5 per cent. of all female employees in Scotland.
	Reliable figures are not available for the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency due to small sample size.

Freedom of Information Act

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests have been answered by the Department; and in how many cases (a) information was wholly exempted, (b) information was partly exempted and (c) the requests were answered in full.

Alan Johnson: During the period January to March 2005 the Department of Trade and Industry received 341 requests and replied to 287 requests. In 98 cases information was wholly exempted, in 52 cases information was partly exempted and in 54 cases the requests were answered in full. In respect of 83 requests no information was found.
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs is committed to publishing quarterly updates in relation to departmental performance under FOI, including information on both the volume and outcomes of requests. The first of these updates was published on 23 June 2005 and can be found both on the DCA website at: http://www.foi.gov.uk/statsjan-mar05.htm and in the Libraries of the House. The next bulletin is due in the autumn of this year, while an annual report is also to be published in early 2006.

Grocery Trade

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Tradeand Industry if he will effect a moratorium on(a) takeovers and (b) acquisitions in the grocery trade.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No. It is for the independent competition authorities (the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission) to consider individual merger cases on their merits against a competition-focused test.

Grocery Trade

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will (a) take steps to strengthen the Supermarkets Supplier Code of Practice and (b) introduce an independent regulator for the grocery market.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The prime responsibility for operating our competition regime rests with the independent competition authorities. In the specific case of supermarkets it is the Office of Fair Trading, which is currently responsible for keeping under review the Code of Practice governing supermarket's relations with their suppliers and for dealing with any other competition issues in the sector.

Hydro Power

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many water mills are fitted with generating turbines.

Malcolm Wicks: 239 small-scale (i.e. with a capacity below 5MW) hydro generators accounted for 184MW of installed generation capacity at the end of 2004. It is not known how many of these are converted water mills.

Job Creation (North-east)

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs accredited to (a) ONE North East and (b) the Durham Development Company have been brought to (i) the county of Durham and (ii) Easington constituency in the last three years.

Alun Michael: ONE North East, the Regional Development Agency, directly created around 2,300 jobs in County Durham (excluding cross-county-boundary projects) over the last three years, according to the definition set out in the DTI's tasking framework for the RDAs.
	As a local authority body, the County Durham Development Company (CDDC), using a wider definition, report that they have influenced the creation or retention of 10,000 jobs in the county over the last three years.
	The sub-division of this information for the Easington district is not available.

Manufacturing

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of manufacturing in Northamptonshire with particular reference to the Wellingborough constituency.

Alun Michael: The County of Northamptonshire still has a dominant manufacturing base with footwear, plastics, perfumes and toiletries over-represented against national averages. The Wellingborough East (WEAST) development and Milton Keynes South Midlands sub-regional strategy will improve infrastructure in the Wellingborough district in order to attract business and industry and help indigenous businesses grow. However, like manufacturing businesses throughout the East Midlands and the UK, Northamptonshire businesses are facing severe competition from overseas. As the pace of technological change speeds up and new industrial economies develop, the future of the manufacturing sector within the region must be based on the recognition that innovation is key to regional competitive success. That involves the continuous introduction of new and differentiated products and services.

Media Relations

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Tradeand Industry how much the Department has spent on external media relations in each month of the last year.

Alan Johnson: The information requested is not kept in the form requested and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

MG Rover

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment the Department made of the business plans of the (a) Phoenix and (b) Alchemy bid for Rover at the time of the company's sale by BMW in 2000, in terms of (i) long-term employment, (ii) redundancy packages and (iii) current and future pensions for (A) Rover employees and (B) Rover's suppliers and dealers; and what assessment was made of the likely effect of each bid on the local Longbridge economy.

Ian Pearson: A preliminary comparison of Phoenix and Alchemy proposed business plans was carried out by the department in April 2000. A further assessment of the Phoenix bid was carried out in May 2000 but by then Alchemy had withdrawn. These were broad assessments, based on information available from the parties, of their developing business plans, and did not, for example, look at the detailed pension position.
	The Longbridge Taskforce produced an assessment of the impact of Rover's closure on component suppliers and the local economy more widely in April 2000. This was placed in the Libraries of the House.

MG Rover

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1344W, on MG Rover, when the decision was taken by his Department, following the requests made by Kevin Howe and John Towers, to offer a bridging loan to aid the completion of a commercial deal; and when that decision was first communicated to MG Rover management.

Ian Pearson: The Department wrote to MG Rover's management on 17 March 2005 setting out in detail the criteria that had to be met in order for a bridging loan to be made.

MG Rover

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has received evidence that suggests MG Rover was trading whilst insolvent during April.

Ian Pearson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State appointed inspectors under section 432(2) of the Companies Act 1985 to examine the issues raised by the FRRP in their report to him and events leading up to the appointment of administrators on 8 April 2005.

MG Rover

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a Government bridging loan facility remains available to aid the completion of a commercial deal to help secure the future of MG Rover; whether the Government have been approached with a request for such a facility by a potential bidder since the company entered administration; whether the Government have offered any such facility to potential bidders since the company entered administration; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The answers to the three questions are as follows:
	No.
	No, not for a bridging loan, although the Government have been approached by a number of bidders seeking other types of financial support.
	No.

Mine Rescue Services

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2005, Official Report, column 464W, on mine rescue services, if he will list the (a) values, (b) dates and (c) scope of the contracts held by the Coal Authority with Mines Rescue Services Ltd, in each year since 1994.

Malcolm Wicks: Details of all contracts between the Coal Authority and Mines Rescue Services Ltd, are listed in the following table:
	
		
			 Scope Start date End date Value (£) 
		
		
			 Call-off contracts for specialist services(7) 11 April 1995 12 April 1999 7,250 
			 Supply and installation of communication equipment at Bilston Glen Colliery 15 November 1999 15 December 1999 1,729 
			 Underground labour at Park Drift Mine 19 February 2001 30 March 2001 14,400 
			 Call-off contracts for specialist services(7)* 1 April 2001 31 March 2003 28,920 
			 Fire protection cover for records in transit 1 August 2001 31 October 2001 3,520 
			 Call-off contracts for specialist services(7)* 1 April 2003 31 March 2005 43,635 
			 Emergency call-out cover 20 January 2003 31 March 2004 9,500 
			 Emergency response to surface hazard incidents 1 April 2004 31 March 2007 1,296,000 
		
	
	(7) The provision of resources from the six regional rescue stations to deal with surface hazards associated with past coal mining;
	The provision of resources to facilitate the Mines (safety and Exit) Regulations 1988;
	The provision of resources to facilitate the Escape from Mines Regulations 1995.
	(8) Contract awarded following OJEU competitive tender exercise.

Mine Rescue Services

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Coal Authority has participated directly or indirectly in (a) financial support and (b) contracts with Mines Rescue Services Ltd in connection with overseas mining operations.

Malcolm Wicks: I can confirm it has not.

Minimum Wage Helpline

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workplaces in Midlothian were reported to the minimum wage helpline for failing to comply with the national minimum wage legislation in 2004.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Nine cases were reported to the National Minimum Wage Helpline in the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 for the EH postcode area.

Minimum Wage Helpline

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workplaces in Paisley and Renfrewshire North were reported to the Minimum Wage Helpline for failing to comply with national minimum wage legislation in 2004.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Six cases were reported to the National Minimum Wage Helpline in the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 for the PN postcode area.

Ministerial Visits

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he plans to visit Coventry in the next six months.

Alan Johnson: I do not currently have any plans to visit Coventry in the next six months.

Non-Fossil Fuel/Renewables Obligations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much (a) research and development funding, (b) capital grants and (c) other state support for energy technologies, excluding the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation and the Renewables Obligation was provided in each year since 1990, broken down by (i) technology, (ii) Government Department and (iii) support scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: It has not been possible to collate all public expenditure and other Government support since 1990 for energy technologies in the time available at proportionate cost. However it is possible to detail direct DTI and Research Council expenditure on new and renewables, clean fossil fuels and nuclear. These are set out in the following tables.
	In addition to this both DEFRA and the Scottish Executive provide funding to the Carbon Trust which conducts research into low carbon energy activities among other activities. DEFRA also funds research into combined heat and power, which is also detailed in the tables.
	The Government's support for clean, low carbon road vehicle and fuel technologies, including support for research, development and demonstration projects, was summarised in the 2002 Powering Future Vehicles Strategy, a copy of which is available via the Department for Transport's website at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft roads_506885.hcsp.
	
		DTI New and Renewable Energy Programme—External Spend for each technology area by financial year from 1990–91
		
			 Spend (rounded to nearest £000) 
			 Programme area 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 
		
		
			 Bio Wastes 874,000 1,237,000 1,158,000 916,000 1,235,000 1,097,000 593,000 75,000 
			 Biomass 973,000 1,153,000 1,961,000 2,378,000 2,350,000 2,313,000 1,937,000 1,317,000 
			 Embedded Generation 0 54,000 108,000 463,000 908,000 835,000 647,000 586,000 
			 Fuel Cells 155,000 339,000 362,000 827,000 915,000 1,172,000 914,000 900,000 
			 Geothermal-Aquifers -8,000 55,000 130,000 143,000 0 0 0 0 
			 Geothermal-Hot Dry Rocks 2,579,000 1,567,000 1,088,000 989,000 245,000 0 0 0 
			 Hydro 33,000 122,000 70,000 167,000 148,000 79,000 142,000 57,000 
			 Solar 2,124,000 2,354,000 2,302,000 2,378,000 2,067,000 1,878,000 1,874,000 1,660,000 
			 Tidal 1,860,000 1,932,000 1,726,000 582,000 220,000 165,000 0 0 
			 Wave 388,000 467,000 325,000 196,000 106,000 42,000 50,000 0 
			 Wind 4,530,000 6,674,000 8,694,000 7,310,000 2,729,000 3,370,000 2,365,000 1,240,000 
			 Grand Total 13,500,000 15,954,000 17,924,000 16,349,000 10,923,000 10,951,000 8,522,000 5,835,000 
		
	
	
		Spend (£000)
		
			 Programme area 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 Total 
		
		
			 Bio Wastes 48,000 25,000 56,000 13,000 42,000 259,000  7,628,000 
			 Biomass 1076,000 1,585,000 1,267,000 1,333,000 1,595,000 1,346,000 974,222 23,558,222 
			 Embedded Generation 530,000 596,000 589,000 776,000 1,424,000 725,000 1,105,640 9,346,640 
			 Fuel Cells 1,197,000 1,168,000 1,410,000 1,249,000 1,200,000 1,701,000 4,907,430 18,416,430 
			 Geothermal-Aquifers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 320,000 
			 Geothermal-Hot Dry Rocks 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6,468,000 
			 Hydro 80,000 138,000 60,000 130,000 200,000 85,000 0 1,511,000 
			 Solar 983,000 1278,000 1,264,000 1,522,000 4,485,000 3,131,000 1,970,340 31,270,340 
			 Tidal 0 0 27,000 305,000 1,996,000 2,914,000 1,268,530 12,995,530 
			 Wave 91,000 11,000 331,000 662,000 748,000 2,104,000 — 5,521,000 
			 Wind 950,000 801,000 913,000 1,248,000 1,428,000 1,395,000 1,459,600 45,106,600 
			 Grand total 4955,000 5602,000 5,917,000 7,238,000 13,118,000 13,660,000 11,685,762 162,133,762 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. From 2000–01, figures do not include spend on contracts placed direct by DTI.
	2. For 2004–05, highlighted cells show a combined spend for the two areas.
	3. It has not been possible to collate expenditure on oil and gas research in the time available.
	
		DTI Clean Coal Programme
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1990–91 10,199,000 
			 1991–92 4,108,000 
			 1992–93 3,020,000 
			 1993–94 6,918,000 
			 1994–95 6,876,000 
			 1995–96 6,626,000 
			 1996–97 5,195,000 
			 1997–98 3,100,000 
			 1998–99 2,900,000 
			 1999–2000 2,500,000 
			 2000–01 4,300,000 
			 2001–02 4,400,000 
			 2002–03 3,000,000 
			 2003–04 5,000,000 
			 2004–05 (9)6,500,000 
			 Total 68,142,000 
		
	
	(9) Estimated
	Figures for direct Government expenditure (but not including spending by the Research Councils) on nuclear fission are given in the following table.
	
		Nuclear
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1991–92 73,500,000 
			 1992–93 69,200,000 
			 1993–94 60,900,000 
			 1994–95 12,500,000 
			 1995–96 6,000,000 
			 1996–97 9,300,000 
			 1997–98 1,000,000 
			 1998–99 1,600,000 
			 1999–2000 2,500,000 
			 2000–01 0 
			 2001–02 2,000,000 
			 2002–03 2,100,000 
			 2003–04 2,100,000 
			 2004–05 2,200,000 
			 Total 244,900,000 
		
	
	
		DTI Capital Grant Programmes
		
			 £ 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 Total 
		
		
			 Biomass (DTI and Lottery spend) — 10,000 1,913,000 1,923,000 
			 Offshore Wind Capital Grants — 0 15,000,000 15,000,000 
			 Clear Skies Community Renewables 200,000 1,387,000 2,413,000 3,800,000 
			 Major PV Demo Programme 960,000 2,880,000 6,450,000 9,330,000 
			 Grand Total 1,160,000 4,277,000 25,776,000 30,053,000 
		
	
	
		DEFRA CHP Programme
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1990–91 300,000 
			 1991–92 300,000 
			 1992–93 300,000 
			 1993–94 400,000 
			 1994–95 500,000 
			 1995–96 500,000 
			 1996–97 700,000 
			 1997–98 1,000,000 
			 1998–99 1,300,000 
			 1999–2000 1,900,000 
			 2000–01 2,500,000 
			 2001–02 2,800,000 
			 2002–03 1,600,000 
			 2003–04 2,500,000 
			 2004–05 2,000,000 
			 Total 18,600,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Several indirect measures of state support for CHP were introduced in 2001–02.
	2. Of those that can be enumerated, climate change levy exemption on fuel inputs to Good Quality CHP and good quality CHP electricity outputs were valued at up to £80 million per annum, while eligibility for Enhanced Capital Allowances is worth in the region of £10 million per annum to the industry.
	3. Capital grants for Community Energy programme schemes were introduced in 2002–03 and the spend on schemes including CHP was: £427,000 in 2002–03, £4,315,000 in 2003–04 and £4,896,000 in 2004–05.
	
		Research Council Spend
		
			 £ 
			 Programme area 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Biofuel 0 0 0 21,540 51,545 
			 Biomass 446,665 870,970 736,434 600,811 700,790 
			 CHP 4,382 36,297 63,210 77,166 267,313 
			 CO2 sequestration 0 0 0 22,544 41,589 
			 Fuel cells 887,584 1,011,524 703,128 898,637 1,145,076 
			 Hydrogen 30,348 135,531 59,169 82,976 318,500 
			 Solar 1,439,835 1,286,000 1,076,000 1,134,000 1,130,000 
			 Photovoltaic 2,254,756 3,001,835 2,759,517 2,991,977 3,536,428 
			 Wave and tidal 0 157,000 175,000 300,599 605,693 
			 Wind 199,847 225,903 177,716 260,596 330,283 
			 Wind/solar l 0 21,000 21,000 100,000 0 
			 Wind/wave 2 0 28,000 28,000 28,000 28,000 
			 Waste 66,012 9,985 39,652 39,962 95,718 
			 Geothermal 0 0 0 0 40,493 
			 Storage 325,808 649,899 669,617 837,918 888,602 
			 Networks 1,347,678 1,167,695 1,081,132 919,165 1,114,793 
			 Total renewable 7,002,915 8,601,639 7,589,576 8,356,384 10,318,881 
			 Conventional 331,072 103,266 107,890 549,220 1,120,493 
			 Fission power 42,111 81,228 61,793 127,562 324,879 
			 Energy Efficiency and Low Carbon Innovation 1,732,072 1,854,776 1,693,629 1,400,400 1,671,465 
			 Other and General 0 13,000 303,000 670,000 602,000 
			 Fusion 16,600,000 12,600,000 14,300,000 17,000,000 14,400,000 
			 Total 25,708,169 23,253,909 24,055,888 28,103,566 28,437,717 
		
	
	
		£
		
			 Programme area 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 Total 
		
		
			 Biofuel 143,990 134,929 92,325 444,329 
			 Biomass 783,026 1,042,526 1,186,257 6,367,479 
			 CHP 356,756 225,905 70,791 1,101,820 
			 CO2 sequestration 77,787 30,323 42,461 214,704 
			 Fuel cells 1,468,042 1,193,165 917,608 8,224,764 
			 Hydrogen 516,560 1,494,155 1,495,130 4,132,369 
			 Solar 1,157,000 1,453,023 1,753,334 10,429,192 
			 Photovoltaic 2,770,354 2,381,044 2,761,866 22,457,777 
			 Wave and tidal 616,694 830,226 1,050,253 3,735,465 
			 Wind 490,447 481,572 255,672 2,422,036 
			 Wind/solar l 0 0 0 142,000 
			 Wind/wave2 28,000 28,000 28,000 196,000 
			 Waste 124,826 169,024 154,474 699,653 
			 Geothermal 64,550 63,550 73,460 79,429 
			 Storage 809,871 730,182 499,536 5,411,433 
			 Networks 1,388,490 1,804,749 2,463,125 11,286,827 
			 Total renewable 10,795,392 12,072,282 12,850,259 — 
			 Conventional 1,349,380 1,252,582 1,627,554 6,441,457 
			 Fission power 307,195 212,239 125,453 1,282,460 
			 Energy Efficiency and Low Carbon Innovation 1,979,554 1,211,881 2,914,276 14,458,053 
			 Other and General 665,000 762,000 1,944,000 4,959,000 
			 Fusion 14,600,000 15,630,000 19,530,000 124,660,000 
			 Total 29,696,521 31,140,985 38,991,541 — 
		
	
	Note:
	Prior to 1997 data on Research Council expenditure were not collated in a way which is comparable to post 1997 expenditure.

Non-Fossil Fuel/Renewables Obligations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what mechanism surpluses are generated from the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation; what the level of those surpluses has been since their inception; and what the projected level of surpluses is for the next three years.

Malcolm Wicks: When the Renewables Obligation (RO) was introduced in 2002 projects under the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO), the previous support mechanism, were included to ensure that from the outset there was liquidity in the ROC market. ROCs allocated to NFFO projects and the electricity they generate are auctioned by the NFPA and the resulting funds are used to pay the electricity prices guaranteed to the projects and their NFFO contracts. The income received from suppliers for the electricity and ROCs generated by NFFO projects currently exceeds payments made to the NFFO generators. This generates a surplus.
	The size of the fund administered by Ofgem, resulting from surplus revenue collected by the Non Fossil Fuel Purchasing Agency (NFPA), in each year since 2001 are as follows:
	
		
			 Year ending March Size of the fund (£ million) 
		
		
			 2001 63.8 
			 2002 28.6 
			 2003 87.1 
			 2004 146.5 
			 2005 169.1 
		
	
	The NFPA estimate that the size of the fund for the next three years is expected to be in the region of:
	
		
			 Year ending March Estimated size of the fund (£ million) 
		
		
			 2006 270 
			 2007 380 
			 2008 500 
		
	
	These are however very broad estimates and the actual size of the fund may vary considerably from the figures shown.

Opinion Surveys

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) subject matter and (b) dates were of opinion survey research undertaken by the Department and its agencies in the last 12 months; if he will place copies of the results of each survey in the Library; which companies were used in conducting the research; and how much each was paid.

Alan Johnson: The Department does not centrally collect the information sought at the required level of detail and to provide it would entail disproportionate cost.
	Statistical surveys to businesses and local authorities conducted by the Department and its agencies are monitored centrally to facilitate control of compliance costs to business and departmental expenditure on survey activity. It is not possible, however, to determine with any degree of accuracy which surveys fall into the categories of market and opinion research, or which contain an element of these, or to identify separately the costs of that element. The answer would incur disproportionate cost because of the need to ask all directorates in DTI, plus agencies and associated non-departmental public bodies, to attempt to provide details of each survey and piece of research commissioned.

Race Relations (Amendment) Act

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what percentage of staff in his Department have received training on the general and specific duties of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, broken down by (a) ethnicity and (b) grade.

Barry Gardiner: All members of the SCS received training on the general and specific duties of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 that included a video tape prepared by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State reinforcing the importance of diversity awareness in policy making. Additional advice was also given to Directorates whose work was identified as having a high relevance to the race duty. Guidance on the duties is also included in the DTI intranet guide to better policy making.

Renewable Energy

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many initiatives to promote domestic installation of renewable energy initiatives his Department operates.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI's It's only Natural Campaign" is a national campaign to promote renewable technologies across all regions. The objectives of the campaign are to:
	raise awareness of renewable energy and its benefits among planners, councillors, investors and wider public audience;
	inform and educate key audiences to enable them to make informed decisions.
	The DTI also has two grant support mechanisms to encourage the installation of small-scale renewables: Clear Skies, which has a £12.5 million budget, and the PV Demonstration Programme, which has a budget of £31 million. Both programmes promote renewable technologies as well as providing grants.

Renewable Energy

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are being taken to encourage the use of renewable energy in Milton Keynes.

Malcolm Wicks: Recent trends in renewable energy development have been highly encouraging. More new capacity has been constructed in the last few years than in the previous decade, and a significant amount is currently in the pipeline. This covers a wide range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and biomass. This has been a result of the Government's Renewables Obligation Order 2002, which established a market-based mechanism for the support and development of this sector.
	The Government are also spending £500 million over the 2002–08 period to support emerging renewable energy technologies, such as wave and tidal.
	Within Milton Keynes itself, I understand that the National Energy Foundation produces electricity and heat from both biomass and solar/PV systems.

Royal Mail

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many permanent employees are employed by the Royal Mail.

Barry Gardiner: According to Royal Mail's Annual Report and Accounts—2004/05, which can be viewed on its website, the company directly employs 196,444.

Royal Mail

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many temporary workers were employed by Royal Mail in Scotland in 2004.

Barry Gardiner: This is an operational matter for Royal Mail and the chief executive has been asked to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Royal Mail

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Royal Mail's performance figures in respect of delivery of first class letters were in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: According to Royal Mail's Annual Report and Accounts—2004–05 its Quality of Service performance in respect of delivery of first class letters for 2004–05 was 91.4 per cent.

Sellafield

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2005, Official Report, column 720W, on radioactive leak (Thorp), on what date he was informed of the nuclear waste leakage at Sellafield; on what dates the (a) Euratom and (b) International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards authorities were informed of the discrepancy in the nuclear materials balance at Sellafield; what communications his safeguards department has had with these authorities in respect of the reportage of discrepancies in measured nuclear materials at Sellafield; and what calculation his Department has made of the costs incurred to date by this leakage.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 20 June 2005, Official Report, column 721W.
	My predecessor as Energy Minister, the hon. Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) was informed of the leak of radioactive material at the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) on 21 April 2005.
	The special report (dated 10 May 2005) on this incident, as required under Article 14 of Commission Regulation 302/2005, was forwarded to the Commission's DG Transport and Energy Directorate H by the UK Safeguards Office on 13 May 2005. However, this official notification had been preceded by verbal notification to the Commission of accounting discrepancies in THORP during a routine inspection on 29 March 2005. When it became clear that the discrepancies were due to a leak, the Commission were informed on 21 April 2005. Further details were provided to Commission inspectors on the Sellafield site during the week beginning 25 April 2005. There is no formal requirement to notify the International Atomic Energy Agency, however the UK made a statement at the Board of Governors in Vienna during the week of 13 June 2005. The UK Safeguards Office has been kept informed of all related discussions between the British Nuclear Group Sellafield Limited, including participating in a meeting held at the DG TREN offices in Luxembourg on 16 June 2005.
	At this stage in the investigation and analysis of the repair options it is difficult to give an accurate estimate of the costs incurred to date and the likely future costs of any future repairs.

Third World Imports

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will discuss the purchase and stocking of goods from third world countries with supermarkets; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Supermarkets will be guided by commercial considerations such as price, availability, quality, and consumer demand. The Supermarket Code of Practice does not cover relationships with producers overseas. Competition issues arising in these countries are a matter for the relevant national authorities and not Ministers or the Office of Fair Trading in the United Kingdom.

Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who was invited to the meeting between his Department and retailers and producers to discuss the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive and the issue of the visible fee on 8 July; and who was invited at the request of producers.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are adopting a voluntary approach to implementation of the provisions of the WEEE Directive on showing the costs of recycling household WEEE to consumers. As part of this, the Department has offered to facilitate a meeting between producers and retailers to discuss how best to operate this. Officials are finalising the invitation list in discussion with key stakeholders, including producers.

Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the UK implementation of the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive; and what the expected timetable is for its implementation.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are currently working to finalise the implementing legislation and accompanying non-statutory Guidance for the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and plans to make an announcement shortly on the implementation, including timetabling.

Wind Farms

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact on house prices of (a) established wind farms and (b) proposed wind farm developments.

Malcolm Wicks: Research in November 2004 by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) on the impact of wind farms on house prices shows that it is too early to say categorically what effects, if any, wind farms have on house prices. This is inline with a separate study on house prices and wind farms conducted for the British Wind Energy Association by chartered surveyors, Knight Frank.
	Both surveys found that the perception that wind farms may impact on house prices is fuelled largely by misunderstandings about wind farms and the 'fear factor' arising at the prospect of them being constructed in proximity to homes. While a planning application for a wind farm may have a marginal effect on prices, the RICS survey found evidence that prices begin to recover after any initial dip when wind farms have been up and running for two years. This suggests that they become more accepted, as communities grow used to them.
	There is no evidence to date to reveal a sustained negative trend in property values among properties in proximity to the wind farms.

Wind Farms

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the sites of (a) established wind farms and (b) proposed wind farms; and what the generating capacity is of each.

Malcolm Wicks: There are currently more than 100 wind farms with grid connection throughout the UK. The following table is taken from the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) website and lists them at:
	
		
			 Wind Farm Location Capacity (MW) 
		
		
			 Artfield Fell Dumfries & Galloway 19.5 
			 Cefii Croes Ceredigion 58.5 
			 Rothes Elgin, Moray 50.6 
			 Tappaghan Enniskien, Co Fermanagh 19.5 
			 Longhill March, Cambridgeshire 2 
			 Spurness Sanday, Orkney 7.5 
			 Haverigg 3 (repowering) Nr. Millon, Cumbria 3.4 
			 Forest Moor Bradworthy, Devon 2.7 
			 Winscales 2 (extension) Nr. Askam, Cumbria 6.8 
			 Burray Community Wind Northfield, Orkney 0.85 
			 Ness Point Lowestoft, Suffolk 2.75 
			 Gigha Community Isle of Gigha, Highlands 0.675 
			 Bambers Farm Lincolnshire 4.8 
			 Scroby Sands Norfolk Coast 60 
			 Causeymire Mybster, Highlands 48 
			 3Hs—Hare Hill County Durham 5 
			 Ford Motors Dagenham, London 3.6 
			 Crystal Rig Borders 50 
			 3Hs—Holmside Hall County Durham 5 
			 Llangwyryfon II Ceredigion 9.35 
			 Cruach Mhor Argyll & Bute 29.75 
			 Ardrossan North Ayrshire 24 
			 3Hs—High Volts County Durham 7.8 
			 North Hoyle—Offshore North Wales Coast 60 
			 Swaffham extension Norfolk 1.8 
			 Altahullion Londonderry 26 
			 Forss Caithness 2.32 
			 Burra Dale II Shetland 1.7 
			 Moel Moelogen Conwy 2.6 
			 Mawla Conwy 1.3 
			 Tangy Argyll & Bute 12.75 
			 Lendrum's Bridge II Co Tyrone 7.26 
			 HaffotyUchall Clwyd 1.7 
			 Bowbeat Borders 31.2 
			 Blaen Bowi Carmarthenshire 3.9 
			 Mablethorpe Lincolnshire 1.2 
			 Thorfmn, Burgar Hill Orkney 2.75 
			 BuFarm Orkney 2.7 
			 Cemmaes II Powys 15.3 
			 Out Newton Yorkshire 9 
			 Beinn an Tuirc Argyll & Bute 30 
			 Myres Hill Galloway 1.8 
			 Tow Law County Durham 2.25 
			 High Hedley Hope County Durham 2.25 
			 Deucheran Hill Kintyre 15 
			 Bears Down Cornwall 9.6 
			 Pare Cynog Carmarthenshire 3.6 
			 Burra Dale Shetland 1.98 
			 Blyth Offshore Northumberland 3.8 
			 Hare Hill Ayrshire 13 
			 Sigurd, Burgar Hill Orkney 1.3 
			 Lambrigg Cumbria 6.5 
			 Dun Law Borders 17.16 
			 Somerton Norfolk 1.5 
			 Kirkheaton Northumberland 1.8 
			 Thorfinn, Burgar Hill Orkney 1.5 
			 Lowca Cumbria 4.62 
			 Great Orton II Cumbria 3.96 
			 Lendrum's Bridge County Tyrone 5.94 
			 KS Winscales Cumbria 1.98 
			 EcoTech Centre Norfolk (Swaffham) 1.5 
			 Askam Cumbria 4.62 
			 Beinn Ghlas Argyll and Bute 8.4 
			 Royal Seaforth Dock Merseyside 3.6 
			 Slievenahanghan County Antrim 1 
			 HaffotyUcha Clwyd 0.6 
			 Haverigg II Cumbria 2.4 
			 Mynydd Gorddu Ceredigion 10.2 
			 Llyn Alaw Anglesey 20.4 
			 Novar Highlands 17 
			 CAT Centre for Alternative Technology Powys 0.6 
			 Owenreagh County Tyrone 5 
			 Rheidol Ceredigion 2.4 
			 Great Eppleton Sunderland 3 
			 Harlock Hill Cumbria 2.5 
			 Lynch Knoll Gloucestershire 0.5 
			 Carno Powys 33.6 
			 Windy Standard Galloway 21.6 
			 Oldside Cumbria 5.36 
			 Siddick Cumbria 4.17 
			 Trysglwyn Anglesey 5.6 
			 Slieve Rushen County Fermanagh 5 
			 Hagshaw Hill Lanarkshire 15.6 
			 Bessy Bell County Tyrone 5 
			 Elliot's Hill County Antrim 5 
			 Rigged Hill County L'derry 5 
			 Four Burrows Cornwall 4.5 
			 Corkey County Antrim 5 
			 Dyffryn Brodyn Carmarthenshire 5.5 
			 Caton Moor Lancashire 3 
			 St. Breock Cornwall 4.95 
			 Bryn Titli Powys 9.9 
			 Royd Moor South Yorkshire 5.85 
			 Kirkby Moor Cumbria 4.8 
			 Taff Ely Mid-Glamorgan 9 
			 Ovenden Moor Yorkshire 9.2 
			 Goonhilly Downs Cornwall 5.6 
			 Cold Northcott Cornwall 6.8 
			 Coal Clough Lancashire 9.6 
			 P&L Powys 30.9 
			 Blyth Harbour Northumberland 2.7 
			 Rhyd-y-Groes Anglesey 7.2 
			 Chelker Reservoir Yorkshire 1.2 
			 Blood Hill Norfolk 2.25 
			 Garland Cross Cornwall 6 
			 Delabole Cornwall 4.0 
		
	
	The list of those wind farms that are currently under construction is:
	
		
			 Wind farm Location Capacity (MW) 
		
		
			 Ardinglass Cairndu, Mid Argyll 15.75 
			 Artfield Nr. Stranraer, Dunfries and Galloway 20 
			 Black Law Forth, South Lanarkshire 97 
			 Boyndie Airfield Banff, Aberdeenshire 14 
			 Glens of Foudland Nr. Huntly, Aberdeenshire 26 
			 Hadyard Hill Girvan, South Ayrshire 120 
			 Kentish Flats 8.5 km off Whitstable, Kent 90 
			 Barrow 7km off Walney Island in the East Irish Sea 90 
			 Pauls Hill 20 km Elgin, Moray 56 
			 Wardlaw Wood Dairy, North Ayrshire 18 
			 Winscales Extension East Town End Farm, Askam 6.8

Wind Farms

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason the financial responsibility for grid connections differs depending on whether wind farms are onshore or offshore.

Malcolm Wicks: At present there is no regulatory regime in place which allows the connection of offshore wind farms to the transmission system.
	However, recognising the need to allow offshore transmission, the Government took powers under the Energy Act 2004 to create a suitable regime.
	We have been working on options for this regulatory regime and I have today launched a joint consultation with Ofgem entitled, 'Regulation of Offshore Electricity
	Transmission', which sets out, and seeks views on, three possible approaches.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of hearing loss equates to a 20 per cent. disablement in considering applications to the Armed Forces Compensation scheme; and what evidence his Department uses for this assessment.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 July 2005
	The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme does not involve the percentage assessment of disabling conditions. Compensation is paid according to a tariff with 15 levels of award for injuries of differing severity. With regard to hearing loss, a permanent bilateral loss of between 50 and 75dB, averaged over 1, 2 and 3kHz, attracts a lump sum award at tariff level 13 (£5,250), if there is mild or no tinnitus. A lump sum award at tariff level 11 (£11,000) is paid if there is severe tinnitus. Level 11 awards also attract a continuing guaranteed income payment. Hearing loss of less than 50dB does not attract compensation.
	The 50dB threshold for compensation is the same used for the war pension scheme, where the rules of the scheme prescribe that a loss of between 50 and 53dB, averaged over 1, 2 and 3kHz, shall be assessed at 20 per cent. It is also used for the assessment of industrial deafness under the civilian Industrial Injuries Benefit Scheme. The independent Industrial Injuries Advisory Council confirmed the appropriateness of the threshold in industrial injuries in November 2002.
	The evidence used to determine the degree of disablement due to service-related hearing loss under the war pension scheme is taken from audiometric tests conducted on or about the date of termination of service. Where no such tests were conducted the assessment is on the basis of the earliest available evidence. Assessment on the basis of later evidence would inevitably include hearing loss arising after service and therefore not due to service: a war pension assessment can include only disablement that is due to service.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of whether there can be variation in the time taken for the full consequences of noise-induced hearing loss to become apparent.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 July 2005
	The Ministry of Defence is committed to evidence-based policy and decision making. Current accepted scientific understanding is that permanent hearing loss due to noise exposure does not improve or worsen after removal from the noise. Hearing loss may subsequently worsen due to age and other causes, but there is no evidence that the worsening is caused or increased by prior noise exposure where that exposure has ceased.

Army Applicants

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications to join the Army from Northern Ireland were rejected on national security grounds in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

Don Touhig: During 2003 nine applications to join the Army from Northern Ireland were rejected on grounds of national security. The figure for rejected applications during 2004 was 39 and up until 21 July 2005 the figure was five.
	The figures relate to applications from within Northern Ireland wishing to join the regular Army, including the General Service battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment (R IRISH), and the Home Service battalions of the R IRISH.

Bullying/Harassment

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many payments have been made in the last five years to members and former members of HM armed forces in compensation for ill-treatment, bullying or harassment experienced while serving; and what the total cost was in each year.

Don Touhig: Compensation relating to common law and Employment Tribunal cases paid to members and former members of HM armed forces for ill-treatment, bullying or harassment experienced while serving and settled during the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year No of cases Amount paid (£) 
		
		
			 2000–01 4 20,000 
			 2001–02 3 62,500 
			 2002–03 10 134,389 
			 2003–04 13 516,000 
			 2004–05 8 162,400

Defence Estate Byelaws

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress and timetable of the review of the defence estate byelaws.

Don Touhig: In October 2004, the Ministry of Defence (MOD set up a team to conduct an extensive review of all military byelaws. An initial appraisal conducted across the defence estate identified in excess of 150 sites, where byelaws require review. A five-year rolling review programme, including priorities, has been drawn up. The Military Lands Act 1892 empowers the Secretary of State for Defence to make a new byelaw. The process takes approximately 18 months in each case. It is intended that the first proposed new byelaw stemming from the review will me made available for public consultation in September 2005. Subject to the outcome of the consultation process, the first new byelaw should come into force in spring 2006.
	In order to facilitate public access and consultation during the review, a MOD Byelaws Internet website is being constructed and will go on line in mid-August 2005.

Departmental Facilities

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all of his Department's facilities in the UK with staff of over 10 personnel, broken down by nation and region of the UK.

Don Touhig: Information on civilian and military personnel is regularly published by DASA at Government Office Region level where it is believed the data is of sufficient quality. Individual defence facilities may hold data at a local level, but centralised systems are not able to provide a reliable breakdown to this level of detail.
	Individual defence facilities do not routinely publish data, as different organisations and agencies are responsible for the same location or site.
	UK Regular Forces Distribution across UK (TSP10) reports the number of military personnel by nation, government office region and local authority. A copy of which can be found in the Library of the House, showing data at 1 July 2004. UK Regular Forces Distribution across UK (TSP10) at 1 April 2005 will be available later this year.
	The following table shows gives the number of civilians by Government Office Region.
	
		Table 1: Ministry of Defence civilian personnel(10)by Government Office Region at 1 April 2005
		
			  Number: FTE 
		
		
			 United Kingdom 7416 
			   
			 By Government Office Region  
			 England 62,690 
			 North East 520 
			 NorthWest 2,810 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 3,790 
			 East Midlands 2,490 
			 West Midlands 5,260 
			 Eastern 7,320 
			 London 5,660 
			 South East l4,750 
			 SouthWest 20,110 
			   
			 Wales 1,550 
			   
			 Scotland 6,460 
			   
			 Northern Ireland 3,450 
			   
			 Unallocated(11) 2,960 
			   
			 Royal Fleet Auxiliaries 2,350 
			   
			 Overseas 2,570 
			   
			 Civilian Level 1 82,030 
			   
			 Trading Funds 10,780 
			 Trading Funds United Kingdom 10,590 
			 Trading Funds Overseas 40 
			 Trading Fund Unallocated(11) 150 
			   
			 Locally Engaged Civilians 15,660 
			   
			 Civilian Level 0 108,470 
		
	
	(10)This table uses the revised definition of civilian personnel (see www.dasa.mod.uk).
	(11)Includes staff who were temporarily absent.
	Source:
	DASA(Civilian)

Diana Elias

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Diana Elias, of Enfield Southgate, is eligible for a £10,000 award under the ex-gratia scheme for British groups interned by the Japanese during the Second World War.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 July 2005
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has appealed the High Court decision of 7 July 2005 that the birthlink criteria used to determine the eligibility of civilian internees under the ex-gratia payment scheme for former Far East Prisoner of War and Civilian Internees resulted in unlawful indirect race discrimination. It was these birthlink criteria that Mrs Elias did not meet. Until the legal proceedings have been concluded and a lawful basis for the civilian element of the scheme established, the initial decision that Mrs Elias was ineligible for a £10,000 award remains the subject of review. I wish to see a proper resolution of the case quickly, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has agreed that the appeal is appropriate for expedition in the Court of Appeal lists given the advanced age of the claimant herself and of other former internees who have a direct interest in the outcome of the case.

Disablement Pensions

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of applications for war disablement pensions were successful for each major disability in each year since April 1997.

Don Touhig: holding answer 21 July 2005
	Departmental information systems cannot provide a breakdown of War Disablement Claims by major disability" as this level of medical data is not available. It is however possible to provide information on the percentage disability awarded of first claims cleared each year since 2000–01, and this is given as follows:
	
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Awarded 20 per cent. + disability 2,485 2,590 2,065 1,840 1,720 
			 Awarded 1–19 per cent. disability 3,900 4,375 3,370 3,295 3,450 
			 Awarded 0 per cent. disability 2,910 2,705 2,315 1,935 1,590 
			 Rejected 1,195 1,090 895 850 825 
			 Total 10,490 10,760 8,645 7,920 7,585 
			 Percentage awarded 88.6 89.9 89.6 89.3 89.1 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Future Rapid Effects System

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his Department's current estimate is of the whole life cost of the Future Rapid Effects System programme;
	(2)  what the reasons are for the increase in the estimated procurement cost of the Future Rapid Effects System.

Adam Ingram: The revised estimate of the procurement cost of FRES reflects the increase in the number of vehicles we plan to procure to around 3,500. Studies being conducted during the assessment phase are aimed at developing a series of options for meeting the requirement and the outcome of these studies will include information that will enable us to formulate reliable whole life cost estimates.

Group 4 Securicor

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by his Department and public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible on security contracts with Group 4 Securicor in 2004–05; and if he will list (a) the nature and location of services provided and (b) the start and end dates of such contracts.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 July 2005
	The Ministry of Defence paid Group 4 Securicor companies a total of £153,190 including VAT in the period 2004–05 for the provision of security and security-related services to various sites in England and Scotland. It would not be possible, without incurring disproportionate cost, to specify the detailed services provided under each contract, nor, for security reasons would I be prepared to give detailed information on security measures taken at individual sites. Locations and contract periods are given in the following table:
	
		
			 Location Contract Start Contract End 
		
		
			 Avon December 1995 December 2005 
			 Avon July 1999 July 2006 
			 Berkshire July 2001 July 2005 
			 Cheshire April 1999 March 2005 
			 Devon/Cornwall August 2001 August 2006 
			 Dorset August 2000 August 2003(12) 
			 Gloucestershire February 2001 February 2005 
			 Gloucestershire September 2002 April 2005 
			 Strathclyde August 2000 July 2005 
			 Surrey August 2003 July 2004 
			 Sussex March 2001 April 2004 
			 Sussex April 2001 April 2004 
		
	
	(12)Sums paid in financial year 2004–05 related to work undertaken in financial year 2003–04.

Iraq

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those occasions since 2002 where aircraft flying directly back to the UK from Basrah International airport carrying Ministers had spare seating capacity.

Adam Ingram: Flight records are kept for 24 months only, following date of departure. From mid-July 2003 to date, three direct flights carrying Ministers from Basrah have been recorded with spare seating capacity. None of these flights have disadvantaged any military personnel.
	
		
			 Date Minister Seats available Pax seated Spare capacity 
		
		
			 7 to 9 October 2003 Baroness Symons 106 76 30 
			 6 to 8 March 2005 Adam Ingram 242 188 54 
			 6 to 8 July 2005 Lord Drayson 242 217 25

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the count of civilian deaths and casualties in Iraq by (a) the Iraq Body Count, (b) the Lancet Study and (c) the Iraq Living Conditions Survey; and what effect these counts have had on procedures for casualty counts used by UK and allied forces.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	There has been no 100 per cent. reliable and accurate assessment of casualties in Iraq over the last two years. Estimates vary according to the methods used. Reliance on media reporting used in the Iraq Body Count (IBC) Report cannot give an entirely accurate portrayal of civilian casualties in Iraq. We believe the Iraqi Government is best-placed to monitor the deaths of its civilians, and the latest statistics from the Iraqi Ministry of Health were given by my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Lord Triesman of Tottenham) in reply to the noble Lord, Lord Garden on 8 June 2005, Official Report, column 67W, and we understand that these figures were used in the IBC Report. The casualty figures indicated in the UN Living Conditions Survey appear broadly in line with those in the IBC Report. The UK Government response to The Lancet survey is given in my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's written statement of 17 November 2004, Official Report, columns 92–95WS.
	These counts have had no effect on casualty counts used by UK forces as UK military reporting is conducted as part of standard military procedure and is not an attempt to carry out a comprehensive survey of civilian casualties. Detailed operational information for our coalition partners is a matter for their own authorities to answer.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions between May 2002 and 19 March 2003, the UK elected not to participate in US air attacks in southern Iraq; for what reasons in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 July 2005
	We do not hold records of occasions in which the United Kingdom elected not to participate in United States air attacks in Southern Iraq between May 2002 and 19 March 2003.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account his Department took of United Nations Security Council Resolution 949 concerning Iraq and Kuwait in determining the legality of air strikes carried out by Coalition aircraft in Iraq in 2002.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 July 2005
	UN Security Council Resolution 688 of April 1991 condemned the repression of the Iraqi population in many parts of Iraq, and demanded an immediate end to that repression. The No-fly zones were established in 1991 and 1992 as necessary and proportionate steps to prevent a humanitarian crisis, and enabled monitoring of Iraqi compliance with SCR 688. UK aircraft patrolling the Iraqi no-fly zones were entitled to use force in self-defence.
	UN Security Council Resolution 949 had no bearing on the entitlement to use force in self defence in monitoring the No-fly zones.

Nuclear Deterrent

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what purpose the Versatile Intermediate Pulsed Energy Reactor (VIPER) at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston is used; what its running costs were in 2004–05; what energy it consumed in that year; whether he has requested AWE Management Ltd. to conduct a sustainability audit of VIPER; and whether it has been used for collaborative work with scientists from the United States Energy or Defense Department under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement on atomic energy matters.

John Reid: The Versatile Intermediate Pulsed Energy Reactor (VIPER) is used to test materials under intense transient neutron and gamma ray environments. The annual running costs of the VIPER facility are in the order of £1 million. The reactor's energy consumption is not separately identifiable but is estimated as negligible compared with that of the whole of the Aldermaston site. AWE has not been asked to conduct a sustainability audit on VIPER. The reactor has been used in some collaborative work with US personnel under the 1958 US/UK Mutual Defence Agreement.

Nuclear Deterrent

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what purpose scientists from (a) his Department and (b) the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston are engaged in collaboration with scientists at the US Sandia National Library on the SPHINX x-ray simulator.

Adam Ingram: Ministry of Defence scientists are not engaged in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories on the SPHINX x-ray simulator.
	The SPHINX simulator has been used by AWE scientists in collaboration with Sandia National laboratories under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement to conduct thermostructural response and imaging experiments.

Nuclear Deterrent

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what purpose marginal initiation characterisation tests are conducted at Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston; how many have been conducted since July 2004; and what the cost is of each such test.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom Marginal Initiation Characterisation Test (MICT) has been developed as a small-scale explosives test to screen energetic materials and ultimately characterise the effects that ageing, temperature, density and composition have on their sensitivity (i.e. safety) and performance. Since July 2004, 23 tests have been undertaken. The approximate cost for a single test is £250.

Outsourcing (Gibraltar)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's court case regarding outsourcing in Gibraltar; and what steps the Department is taking following judgment in the case.

Adam Ingram: A judgment has been passed by the Supreme Court of Gibraltar following an interim application to establish the jurisdiction of the litigation brought by the Gibraltar trade unions in response to the infrastructure support provider (ISP) initiative. The hearing established that the Secretary of State for Defence is the correctly named defendant for any litigation involving the MOD in Gibraltar. The case will be heard in Gibraltar. The MOD remains confident that it will be able successfully to defend the substantive case, which is due to be heard in early September 2005.

PFI/PPP Schemes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) private finance initiative and (b) public private partnership schemes he expects to achieve financial closure between 1 July and 31 December.

Adam Ingram: HM Treasury (HMT) defines public private partnerships (PPP) as privately financed projects and other forms of joint ventures, but excludes prime contracts, partnering and other outsourcing deals. This answer is based on the HMT definition of PPP.
	Based on current planning assumptions the following projects are expected to achieve financial closure between 1 July and 31 December:
	Allenby-Connaught PFI—The redevelopment, including rebuild and refurbishment, of the major garrisons around Salisbury Plain and Aldershot garrison.
	Portsmouth 2 Housing PFI—Proposal for 148 houses, mainly Officers' Quarters, but including some other ranks accommodation.

PFI/PPP Schemes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what defence training activities are being considered for provision under (a) private finance initiative and (b) public private partnership schemes; and what the timescale for (i) main gate approval and (ii)financial closure is.

Don Touhig: HM Treasury (HMT) defines Public Private Partnerships (PPP) as privately financed projects and other forms of joint ventures, but excludes Prime Contracts, Partnering and other outsourcing deals. This answer is based on the HMT definition of PPP.
	The following three projects are currently being considered for provision under PPP arrangements as defined by HMT:
	Royal School of Military Engineering—a contract to provide training facilities and construction engineering training for the Royal Engineers. Main Gate approval is currently anticipated in March 2006, and financial close is currently anticipated in November 2006.
	Defence Training Review—contracts to meet rationalisation objectives while providing in-service specialised military training needs. Main Gate approval is currently anticipated in July 2006, and Financial Close is currently anticipated in July 2007.
	UK Military Flying Training System—will provide tri-Service military flying training, utilising a mix of PFI and smart conventional procurement. It is currently anticipated that Main Gate approval will be sought during late 2006 and financial closure by mid 2007.
	It must be emphasised that the dates provided are planning dates only and are continually being reviewed and may therefore change.

PFI/PPP Schemes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) private finance initiative and (b) public private partnership schemes have achieved financial closure so far in 2005; on what dates preferred bidders were announced; and what financial closure dates were anticipated when preferred bidders were announced.

Adam Ingram: The C Vehicle Capability private finance initiative deal which was announced on 14 June 2005 is the only public private partnership (including PFI) project which has achieved financial closure so far in 2005. The decision to select the Amey Lex Consortium (ALC) as the preferred bidder for the C Vehicle Capability PFI project was announced on 17 December 2003. At the time of the preferred bidder announcement financial close was expected in October 2004.
	This answer is based on the HM Treasury's definition of public private partnerships which includes privately funded projects and other forms of joint ventures but excludes prime contracts, partnering and other outsourcing deals.

PFI/PPP Schemes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his policy towards (a) public private partnership and (b) private finance initiative provision.

Adam Ingram: HM Treasury (HMT) defines public private partnerships (PPP) as privately financed projects and other forms of joint ventures, but excludes prime contracts, partnering and other outsourcing deals. This answer is based on the HMT definition of PPP.
	The Department seeks to deliver high quality products and services to our armed forces using the most appropriate procurement technique while ensuring that value for money is obtained for the taxpayer. PPP's as defined by HMT form part of the Departments overall procurement strategy to achieve this.
	Existing PPP contracts are delivering value for money services to the Department and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. To date the Department has committed to 53 PPP (PFI) contracts. These have resulted in £4.5 billion of private sector capital investment in defence. We have a further 12 PPP projects in procurement that will bring up to a further £6 billion of private sector capital investment in to defence if they all lead to contracts being placed.
	The procurement tool used for procurement programmes or individual purchases, irrespective of their type, will be judged by the specific circumstances surrounding each procurement. For this reason the MoD does not place any dogma on the use of PPP, including PFI.
	PPP and PFI specifically, will be considered for all procurements where substantial investment is needed, but PPP will not be pursued unless it can be demonstrated to deliver better value for money than other procurement techniques. For example, the Department has adopted HM Treasury's Value for Money Assessment Guidance to test from an early stage in the procurement that PFI is the appropriate procurement tool to deliver the prevailing requirement.

RAF Innsworth

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms were of the Compulsory Purchase Order made on the RAF Innsworth site when it was originally obtained; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The land which comprises RAF Innsworth was assembled following the outbreak of the Second World War by the acquisition of 11 separate freehold interests, either following agreement or by powers available at the time.
	No specific Compulsory Purchase Order was made as most acquisitions at that time were initiated by requisition under the Defence (General) Regulations 1939 made under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939; under existing Defence Acts; or through other statutes in place at the time.
	Eight conveyances of the land occurred between 1939 and 1945, two more in 1951, and the last in 1961. Each of these documents sets out the terms of the individual acquisitions and the consideration paid which, in some cases, included compensation for severance, depreciation and injurious affection to the vendors' adjoining estate.
	As the land was acquired either by or under the threat of compulsion, should RAF Innsworth be released for sale, the Crichel Down Rules would be followed.

RAF Innsworth

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out on the RAF Innsworth site following the decision to transfer its operations to High Wycombe; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: A statutory Environmental Impact Assessment is not required at RAF Innsworth, but an Environmental and Sustainability Appraisal has been completed. This document is currently being withheld because it relates to internal discussion and formulation of policy. However, it is our intention to publish this after the trade unions consultation period has ended and the final ministerial decision made.

RAF Innsworth

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the investment appraisal of the RAF Innsworth site following the decision to transfer its operations to High Wycombe; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The investment appraisal is being withheld at present because it relates to internal discussion and formulation of policy. However, it is our intention to publish this more widely after the trade unions consultation period has ended and the final ministerial decision made.

RAF Innsworth

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the value of the land occupied by RAF Innsworth; what the value would be with planning permission for housing; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The assessment of the site's value included in the business case for the co- location of the RAF headquarters was £30 million, representing our agent's valuation as at August 2004 (and assuming planning permission for residential development for the whole site).

Royal Navy

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the operational strength is of the Royal Navy's (a) destroyers and (b) frigates.

Adam Ingram: As at 20 July 2005, 23 of the Royal Navy's 27 destroyers and frigates were available for tasking by Cincfleet.

Scottish Defence Bases

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the operating cost of each defence base in Scotland was in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is shown in the schedule.
	The schedule is in two sections: Section A provides the operating costs for financial years 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 for defence sites in Scotland where the information you request is available; the operating costs relating to years 1997–98 to 2000–01 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Section B provides a list of the remaining sites in Scotland for which operating costs are not readily available and, similarly, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The operating costs shown in the schedule include non-cash transactions, principally depreciation and cost of capital charge, where appropriate and available.
	
		Operating cost of defence bases in Scotland: Section A -- £ million
		
			 Location TLB Description of base 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Beith DLO Defence Munitions Beith (13)7.593 (13)6.099 (13)3.873 
			 Crombie DLO Defence Munitions Crombie (13)8.168 (13)8.136 (13)6.992 
			 Garelochhead DLO Oil Fuel Depot 1.191 1.075 1.471 
			 Glen Douglas DLO Defence Munitions Glen Douglas (13)5.175 (13)4.557 (13)5.163 
			 Barry Buddon LAND Defence Training (14)1.384 (14)1.714 (14)1.749 
			 Dounreay DPA Nuclear Reactor Test Establishment 24.500 24.500 25.500 
			 Buchan STC RAF Buchan 29.749 26.102 23.327 
			 Coulport DLO RNAD Coulport and HMNB Faslane 229.136 291.557 207.026 
			 Edinburgh LAND Dreghorn Barracks (14)16.377 (14)16.732 (14)17.278 
			 Edinburgh LAND Redford Infantry (14)15.656 (14)16.614 (14)16.510 
			 Greenock DLO Marine Service Base 1.078 1.217 0.719 
			 Kinloss STC RAF Kinloss 193.451 211.497 162.298 
			 Leuchars STC RAF Leuchars St Andrews 124.616 162.718 217.867 
			 Lossiemouth STC RAF Lossiemouth 210.660 238.423 240.685 
			 Rosyth DLO HMS Caledonia 31.816 44.685 20.844 
			 Stirling DLO Army Base Repairs 5.937 8.048 8.572 
		
	
	(13)Excludes cost of capital charges, which are not attributed to individual bases.
	(14)Excludes depreciation and cost of capital charges, which are not attributed to individual bases.
	
		Section B
		
			 Location TLB Description of base 
		
		
			 Ballachulish AG Joint Service Mountain Training Centre 
			 Camusbarron LAND Training Area 
			 Cultybraggan LAND Training Camp 
			 Edinburgh LAND Castlelaw Ranges 
			 Edinburgh LAND Edinburgh Castle 
			 Fort George LAND Fort George Ranges 
			 Garelochhead LAND Garelochhead Camp 
			 Glasgow PTC RAF University Air Squadron 
			 Kingussie LAND Kingussie Training Hut 
			 Kircudbright LAND Ranges 
			 Penicuik LAND Army Training Regiment 
			 Perth LAND Highland Brigade 
			 Stirling LAND Drip Bridge Training Camp 
			 Stirling LAND Highland Brigade 
			 Ballater LAND Victoria Barracks 
			 Fort George LAND Fort George Barracks 
			 Inverness LAND Cameron barracks 
			 Arbroath Fleet HMS Condor 
			 Cape Wrath DLO Bombing Range 
			 Crimond DLO RNWC Crimond- DCSA IT support 
			 Eskdalemuir DPA Seismological Array station 
			 Glasgow Fleet Royal Marines Reserve 
			 Greenock DLO Navy Building Greenock 
			 Prestwick Fleet HMS Garnet

Swan Hunter

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what future naval shipbuilding work he has identified as being suitable for Swan Hunter shipyard to tender for; and what the timetable is for that work.

Adam Ingram: As you are aware, we announced on 30 January 2003, Official Report, columns 1027–42, that Swan Hunter is one of the four shipyards identified that, subject to value for money considerations, could potentially participate in building the future carrier. The ship building strategy will be confirmed following the main investment decision, which will be taken when we are confident that we have sufficient understanding of the cost, scheduling and risks involved.

Type 45 Destroyers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last discussed with senior naval officers the merits of fitting tactical Tomahawk missiles to Type 45 destroyers with senior naval officers; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: holding answer 20 July 2005
	Ministers routinely discuss equipment issues with senior military officers. Our position remains as stated in the answer which my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces gave the hon. Member on 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 466W.

UK Overseas Territories

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will estimate the costs associated with the defence of UK overseas territories in each of the last four years;
	(2)  what the costs were of running and maintaining UK military facilities in (a) UK overseas territories and (b) other UK military facilities overseas in each of the last four years.

Adam Ingram: The costs of running and maintaining the many UK Military Facilities overseas are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the major facilities are primarily, but not exclusively, managed by the Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) and I can provide the expenditure recorded by CJO in respect of the Permanent Joint Operating Bases in the three main overseas territories in each of the last four years: £
	
		
			  Financial Year 
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Cyprus 206 240 247 203 
			 Gibraltar 79 113 81 94 
			 Falkland Islands 115 120 111 113 
		
	
	There is no historical analysis of these costs that would distinguish between those associated with the actual defence of UK overseas territories and those incurred in other activities, such as training, exercises, and operations, at the locations concerned. It is, therefore, not possible to isolate the costs of defence alone nor to reliably estimate them.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Bilingual Licence Applications

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reasons bilingual application forms for licences to sell alcohol have not been made available in Welsh local authorities.

James Purnell: We did not prescribe bilingual application forms in the Licensing Act 2003 regulations as we had concerns about practical issues, including the ability of non-Welsh speakers being able to engage in the process if applications were made in Welsh. However, following discussions with the Welsh Language Board, we have been reassured that requirements under Welsh language schemes protect the interests of Welsh and English speakers alike. On that basis, we are looking to prescribe the forms as soon as possible, although this will not be before the 6 August date for converting existing alcohol licences. I have made it clear that, in the meantime, I have no policy objection if licensing authorities in Wales wish to make forms available in Welsh or bilingually, and to accept them in Welsh under their Welsh language schemes. This approach has the support of the Welsh Language Board and I understand that Welsh authorities are issuing and accepting Welsh forms.

Commonwealth Games (2014)

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether it is her policy to provide financial support for the bid to bring the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow in 2014.

Richard Caborn: As sport in Scotland is a devolved matter, the costs of any bid to stage the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are the responsibility of the key organisations concerned which are Glasgow city council, the Scottish Executive and the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland.

Commonwealth Games (2014)

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on a Glasgow bid for the commonwealth games in 2014.

Richard Caborn: I have had no formal discussions with the Scottish Executive on this issue. However officials from the Scottish Executive have been keeping my officials informed of progress with consideration of this issue.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many letters to her Department from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

Richard Caborn: In response to your parliamentary question regarding unanswered correspondence in session (a) 2004–05, the Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The Report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005. (b) The following table shows the number of letters in the Department that have not received an answer for 2005–06:
	
		2005–06 (1 January 2005 to 30 June 2005)
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Current month 28 Due June 
			 One month 23 Due May 
			 Two months 41 Due April 
			 Three months 17 Due March 
			 Four months 12 Due February 
			 Six months nil nil

Departmental Expenditure

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total spending by her Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Moray constituency and (ii) the Highland region was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not spent anything on staff, accommodation or procurement in Moray or the Highland region.

Departmental Expenditure

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total spending by her Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Dundee East constituency, (ii)Tayside and (iii) the city of Dundee was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not spent anything on staff, accommodation or procurement in Dundee East, Tayside or the city of Dundee.

Departmental Expenditure

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total spending by her Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Banff and Buchan and (ii) the North East of Scotland was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not spent anything on staff, accommodation or procurement in Banff and Buchan or the North East of Scotland.

Departmental Expenditure

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total spending by her Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in Perth and North Perthshire was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not spent anything on staff, accommodation or procurement in Perth or North Perthshire.

Departmental Priorities

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's priorities are for the next 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: The priorities for my Department for 2005–06 are set out in the DCMS Business Plan 2005. Copies of the plan have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Digital Broadcasting

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what percentage of viewers in the Stroud constituency (a) have access to Freeview and (b) have converted from analogue to digital broadcasting; what strategy she has put in place to complete the conversion process; and if she will make a statement.

James Purnell: Freeview reception via Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is not currently extensive in Stroud, although it may be possible in some parts to receive signals from the main Mendip and Ridge Hill transmitters. We do not presently have figures for digital conversion in the area.
	As regards strategy, I refer my right hon. Friend to the statement made by the Secretary of State in Parliament on the 21 July 2005, Official Report, columns 112–13WS.

Digital Broadcasting

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in Midlothian are unable to receive digital television.

James Purnell: The vast majority of households in Midlothian can, with the appropriate equipment, receive digital television services via at least one of digital satellite or digital terrestrial.

Digital Broadcasting

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what provision has been made for households in Devon and Cornwall that will be unable to receive a digital signal by 2008;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of whether a digital signal will be available to every household in Devon and Cornwall by the time analogue transmission is ended;
	(3)  how many households that are receivers of analogue transmission in Devon and Cornwall are unable to receive a digital signal.

James Purnell: The vast majority of households in Devon and Cornwall can, with the appropriate equipment, receive digital television services via at least one of digital satellite, digital terrestrial or cable.
	Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is broadcast from Devon and Cornwall's five main transmitters (Redruth, Caradon Hill, Huntshaw Cross, Beacon Hill and Stockland Hill), along with the Plympton relay transmitter.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that everyone who currently receives the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue will be able, at digital switchover, to receive them in digital form.

Equality and Diversity

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Department has spent promoting equality and diversity in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has spent the following amounts on promoting diversity in the last three years (the only years for which figures are available).
	
		£
		
			  Amount spent 
		
		
			 2005–06 (15)5,464 
			 2004–05 56,272 
			 2003–04 139,930 
		
	
	(15)2005–06 amount is to date

Licensing Act 2003

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on the implications for his Department of the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 after 7 November.

James Purnell: Ministers and officials from DCMS and the Home Office continue to work together, with particular regard to crime and disorder, to ensure a smooth and successful implementation of the Licensing Act 2003, which comes into force on 24 November.

Licensing Act 2003

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she will expect from police forces regarding those who have neither a premises licence nor a personal licence under the Licensing Act 2003 after 7 November.

James Purnell: The Licensing Act 2003 comes into force on 24 November. Any person carrying on licensable activities after that date without the relevant permission under the 2003 Act would be liable to prosecution. Proceedings for an offence of this kind may be instituted by a licensing authority or by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Enforcement would be a matter for the police and licensing officers. It would be inappropriate for the executive to seek to influence decisions made in respect of prosecutions.

Licensing Act 2003

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will change the way in which charges are apportioned to licensed premises so that they are based on the rateable value of only the area that is serving alcohol, rather than the club or premises as a whole;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of the impact that the Licensing Act 2003 will have on garden centres who sell small amounts of alcohol in their cafe"s.

James Purnell: My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on garden centres which sell small amounts of alcohol. However, Regulatory Impact Assessments were provided to Parliament with the Bill and the fees regulations, which considered the impact of the 2003 Act more broadly, including on small businesses. These are available in the Library of the House.
	Fees were set which recognised the various sizes of businesses engaged in licensable activities. However, Ministers agreed to establish an Independent Fees Panel to review the impact of the fees. This has now been established under the chairmanship of Sir Les Elton. We expect the panel to consider a range of business concerns about the fees regime and draw on evidence and expertise provided during the course of the review process, including the issue where the premises to be licensed only forms a small part of a larger hereditament and does not, itself, have a separate rateable value.

National Lottery

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Health on possible use of Lottery funding in schemes within the health service.

Richard Caborn: Discussions took place between the two Departments in relation to some of the New Opportunities Fund's health programmes, for example Healthy Living Centres and cancer prevention, detection, treatment and care. Lottery funding for these programmes was quite separate from and additional to any money spent by the national health service in these areas. We have not discussed any future funding schemes within the health service.

National Lottery

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has given directions to the Big Lottery Fund to reduce balances held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund.

Richard Caborn: My Department is working with all Lottery distributors, including the Big Lottery Fund, to ensure that lottery money is spent quickly, so that the public sees the benefits as soon as possible. As part of this process, guidance on managing lottery balances was issued to distributors in August 2003. No directions to reduce balances have been issued.

National Lottery

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether it is her intention that the Big Lottery Fund should be responsible for the distribution of more than 50 per cent. of lottery good cause funding.

Richard Caborn: It is not our intention that the Big Lottery Fund should be responsible for the distribution of more than 50 per cent. of lottery good cause funding.

National Lottery

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Education and Skills on the use of Lottery funding for projects in schools.

Richard Caborn: We have regular discussions with colleagues at the Department for Education and Skills about joint programmes, such as those that receive funding from the Big Lottery fund and the Arts and Sports Councils. For example, this includes the £750 million New Opportunities for PE and Sport (NOPES) programme which is bringing about a step change in the provision of sporting facilities for young people and the community more generally.

Olympics 2012

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of employment opportunities that will become available as a result of the 2012 Olympics being hosted in London, broken down by (a) skill area and (b) borough.

Richard Caborn: We know from the experience of past host cities that the Olympic games and Paralympic games can deliver thousands of jobs.
	The socio-economic assessment produced to support the Olympic and Olympic legacy planning applications concluded that after the games, the Olympic park area alone will accommodate 11,270 permanent jobs as a direct result of the games, spread across the London boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. This estimate comprises:
	5,880 heavy industrial;
	4,050 commercial;
	260 retail and leisure;
	550 sports and recreation;
	530 education.
	For the construction of the Olympic park, venues and legacy facilities, the assessment estimated that 7,000 full time equivalent construction jobs will be created.
	These estimates do not take into account the other jobs that will be created as a result of the games in sectors such as tourism, hospitality and food across the rest of London and the UK.
	In addition, up to 70,000 volunteers and an estimated 3,500 operation staff will be needed to deliver the games.

Olympics 2012

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the road infrastructure in East London for the Olympic games; and what discussions she has had with (a) Transport for London and (b) the Department for Transport concerning improvements, with particular reference to the A406.

Richard Caborn: In preparing the London Olympic bid, London 2012 and Transport for London carried out detailed assessments of Olympic transport needs and the capacity of London's transport infrastructure, including roads, to meet them.
	The plans for Olympic transport were based on these assessments; the Government were fully involved in developing them. They are set out in the Candidature File submitted to the International Olympic Committee in November 2004, and are based on making the best use of existing infrastructure and planned improvements. We are confident that, with these plans, London's road infrastructure will be adequate for meeting the needs of the Olympic and Paralympic games.

Olympics 2012

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what opportunities there are for cities other than London, with particular reference to Scottish cities, to be venues for the training camps of (a) British and (b) other Olympic teams in the run up to 2012.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 19 July 2005
	Visiting teams will want time to prepare their athletes for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012, accessing sporting facilities, acclimatising to weather conditions and assimilating themselves into British culture.
	We expect that a number of visiting teams will want to stage training and preparation camps right across the UK. These camps offer a significant opportunity to nations and regions to benefit economically from the Games and to be involved in the excitement being at close quarters to a visiting team, their culture and their language.
	The London Organising Committee is working with the British Olympic Association, and others to produce central guidance that will assist partners in the devolved Administrations and the English regions to develop their plans to secure these training camps. However, ultimately, it will be the choice of each National Olympic Committee as to where they stage their training camps.

Olympics 2012

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total financial support provided to date from (a) the Government and (b) Lottery funding for the London bid for the 2012 Olympics has been.

Richard Caborn: The Government and the London Development Agency (LDA) have provided, in equal part, up to £30 million in support of London's bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
	Lottery funds have not been used to support the London bid.

Olympics 2012

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will site an (a) Olympic event and (b) Olympic-related cultural event in (i) the constituency of Houghton and Washington East, (ii) the area covered by Sunderland city council and (iii) the North East of England in 2012.

Richard Caborn: The Candidature File, submitted to the IOC on 15 November 2004, contains detailed proposals for all sports venues that will be used in the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012, including St.James' Park in Newcastle, which will host part of the Olympic football competition. The venues were selected using the technical guidelines provided by the IOC and have been agreed by the International Sports Federations.
	Over the coming months, the London Organising Committee of the Games (LOCOG) culture and education team will establish a framework that will allow for the broadest levels of inclusion and engagement across the UK in the delivery of our Olympic culture and education programmes. They will build on the strong relationships London 2012 have already established with the Regional Cultural Consortia.

Telephone Inquiries

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what facilities her Department has to deal with telephone inquiries in (a) Welsh, (b) Scots Gaelic and (c) Irish Gaelic.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport can only answer telephone calls in English.
	External translators are used to translate letters, e-mails and faxes into English.
	
		Correspondence translated into English, January to June 2005
		
			  
		
		
			 Welsh 3 
			 Scots Gaelic 0 
			 Irish Gaelic 89

Websites

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what websites come under her Department's responsibility; and what the (a) cost and (b) number of visitors to those sites was in the last 12 months.

Richard Caborn: My Department has responsibility for the following:
	1. DCS main website www.culture.gov.uk (http://www.culture.gov.uk).
	2. Government Art Collection www.gac.culture.gov.uk (http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk).
	3. Communications White Paper www.communicationswhitepaper.gov.uk (http://www.communicationswhitepaper.gov.uk).
	4. Digital Television www.digitattelevision.gov.uk (http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk).
	5. Digital Switchover www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/digital_switchover_logo/index.html (http://www.digitaltelevisiongov.uk/digital_switchover_logo/index.html).
	6. Culture Online www.cultureonline.gov.uk (http://www.cultureonline.gov.uk).
	7. Sponsored bodies collaborative working www.agora.culture.gov.uk (http://www.agora.cultu re.gov.uk).
	8. Business continuity for staff www.recovery.culture.gov.uk (http://www.recovery.culture.gov.uk).
	9. National Lottery Awards www.lottery.culture.gov.uk (http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk).
	10. UK World Heritage Sites www.ukworldheritage.org.uk (http://www.ukworldheritage.org.uk).
	11. BBC Charter Review www.bbccharterreview.gov.uk
	(a) The total cost for the financial year 2004–05, for the aforementioned sites was £43,412.06.
	(b) The number of visitors to each site in the last year (January to December 2004) was as follows:
	1. DCS main website (570,354 Unique visitors).
	2. Government Art Collection (88,675 Unique visitors).
	3. Communications White Paper (31,115 Unique visitors).
	4. Digital Television (73,765 Unique.visitors).
	5. Digital Switchover (part of the Digital Television site and therefore, visitor figures are not separate).
	6. Culture Online (29,912 Unique visitors).
	7. Sponsored bodies collaborative working (457 Unique visitors).
	8. Business continuity for staff (Visitor figures not measured).
	9. National Lottery Awards (29,778 Unique visitors).
	10. UK World Heritage Sites (77 Unique visitors).
	11. BBC Charter Review (62,257 Unique visitors).

Young People

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the participation rates of young people in club sport were in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The 2003–04 PE, School Sport and Club Links survey found that 19 per cent. of pupils in the 6,500 schools taking part participated in sports clubs linked to their schools. The results of the survey were published on 29 April 2004 and copies of the report (The Impact of School-Sport Partnerships: The Results of the 2003–04 PE; School Sport and Club Links Survey) have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The results of the 2004–05 survey will be published in the autumn.
	As part of the national PE, School Sport and Club links strategy, we are working with the National Governing Bodies of 22 sports to enhance and increase school-club links.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Advertising Expenditure

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the (a) Department and (b) non-departmental bodies for which the Department is responsible has spent on advertising, broken down by media type in the last three years.

Jim Knight: The Department does not maintain separate records of its expenditure for advertising. The expenditure for publicity by Defra's Communications Directorate includes marketing, advertising, publications, events, shows and direct mailings. Expenditure for the last three financial years are:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2002–03 4.7 
			 2003–04 2.5 
			 2004–05 4.2 
		
	
	This includes communications on a wide range of matters, much of it necessary or beneficial to the public and the wide range of industries in which Defra has an interest, together with local government, voluntary organisations and other bodies.
	A breakdown of expenditure for each agency and non departmental body sponsored by the Department could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Advertising Expenditure

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Department spent on advertising in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The Department does not maintain separate records of its expenditure for advertising. The expenditure for publicity by Defra's Communications Directorate includes marketing, advertising, publications, events, shows and direct mailings and is recorded for the financial years since Defra's creation in June 2001 as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2001–02 3.5 
			 2002–03 4.7 
			 2003–04 2.5 
			 2004–05 4.2 
		
	
	This includes communications on a wide range of matters, much of it necessary or beneficial to the public and the wide range of industries in which Defra has an interest, together with local government, voluntary organisations and other bodies.

Agricultural Exports

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which countries do not import British (a) beef, (b) lamb, (c) milk and (d) pork; and what steps she is taking to encourage these countries to import these products.

Jim Knight: Lists placed in the Library of the House detail the countries for which there were no recorded exports from the UK for (a) beef, (b) lamb, (c) milk and (d) pork in 2004. Figures are based on all UK exports and include products that have been imported from both EU and Third countries that are re-exported.
	Government policy is not to attempt to intervene in the market but to facilitate the right economic framework, through the implementation of its Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food which was published on 12 December 2002, to enable farmers to succeed, compete successfully internationally and have a profitable future. The strategy provides a clear and strategic long-term direction towards a more sustainable future. The Government will work in partnership with industry and other stakeholders to implement the strategy, providing the leadership to allow farmers to flourish by their own efforts.

Air Sports

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that paragliding and hang gliding are not adversely affected by the new single farm payment scheme.

Jim Knight: The Department's guidance governing non-agricultural use of land under the single payment scheme is being updated to place hang gliding and paragliding in the category of activities that may be carried out without restriction provided that cross compliance requirements are met. As this is a new scheme, we expect the rules to evolve in the light of experience. That applies equally to the guidance on non-agricultural use of land which we will review again for the 2006 scheme year.

Animal Experimentation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the division of responsibilities in respect of animal experiments between her Department and the Home Office.

Ben Bradshaw: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 makes provision for the protection of animals used for experimental or other scientific purposes in the United Kingdom. The 1986 Act is administered and enforced by the Home Office in England, Scotland and Wales and by the Department of Health, Social Security and Public Safety in Northern Ireland.
	In cases where animals are kept at establishments designated under the 1986 Act but do not otherwise fall within scope of the Act (eg because they are not being kept for breeding purposes under the 1986 Act, or are not actually undergoing experimental or scientific procedures), the Protection of Animals Act 1911 applies, in England and Wales. Similar legislation exists in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Defra is responsible for the 1911 Act in England.

Animal Fairs

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of the role of animal fairs on illegal trade in wildlife; and whether related prosecutions have taken place in the last three years.

Jim Knight: Animal fairs, like any other legal trade fora, can provide an opportunity for illegal transactions to take place. We have not assessed whether such fairs encourage the illegal trade and prosecution statistics do not identify which, if any, illegal trade cases have arisen from this type of event.

Bovine TB

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of badgers killed due to (a) road vehicles, (b) illegal action, (c) Government-organised badger culling programmes and (d) other causes in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: It is not possible to provide an estimate for each of the categories requested as no data is centrally held for the number of badgers killed due to illegal persecution or other causes. However, seven suspected incidents of illegal badger culling activities have been identified since February 2002 and reported to the police authorities.
	(a) Between 2000 and May 2005 3,897 badgers were collected, killed due to road vehicles, within the Road Traffic Accident survey area which operates in the seven counties of Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Dorset. Outside of the seven counties no data are collected.
	(b) 9,758 badgers have been dispatched since 1998 under the Government-organised Randomised Badger Culling Trial.

Bovine TB

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle have been culled as a consequence of bovine tuberculosis infection in each year since 1997, broken down by county.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of cattle culled as a consequence of bovine tuberculosis infection in each year from 1997 to 2004 by county is provided in eight tables, which will be made available in the Library in the House.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many bovines tested positive for bovine tuberculosis as a percentage of the total number of bovines in each of the counties of England and Wales in the past 12 months for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not centrally held in the format requested. However, the following table provides data on the number of confirmed new herd incidents, broken down by county for 2004.
	
		Confirmed new herd incidents—1 January to 31 December 2004
		
			 Region Tests on unrestricted herds Confirmed new herd incidents (CNIs) CNIs as percentage of tests on unrestricted herds 
		
		
			 England and Wales total 43,393 1,723 3.97 
			 England total 34,287 1,407 4.10 
			 Wales total 9,106 316 3.47 
			 
			 England
			 Avon 1,053 46 4.37 
			 Bedfordshire 51 — — 
			 Berkshire 89 — — 
			 Buckinghamshire 204 — — 
			 Cambridgeshire 93 — — 
			 Cheshire 1,173 16 1.36 
			 Cleveland 59 1 1.69 
			 Cornwall 3,469 209 6.02 
			 Cumbria 2,223 17 0.76 
			 Derbyshire 1,147 40 3.49 
			 Devon 5,520 396 7.17 
			 Dorset 994 22 2.21 
			 Durham 399 1 0.25 
			 East Sussex 265 8 3.02 
			 Essex 89 — — 
			 Gloucestershire 1,544 135 8.74 
			 Greater London—East 9 — — 
			 Greater London—South East 17 — — 
			 Greater Manchester 166 — — 
			 Hampshire 281 — — 
			 Hereford and Worcester 2,115 200 9.46 
			 Hertfordshire 55 — — 
			 Humberside 341 6 1.76 
			 Isle of Wight 54 — — 
			 Isles of Scilly 3 — — 
			 Kent 217 — — 
			 Lancashire 676 — — 
			 Leicestershire 456 5 1.10 
			 Lincolnshire 397 3 0.76 
			 Merseyside 33 — — 
			 Norfolk 309 1 0.32 
			 North Yorkshire (48) 1,234 6 0.49 
			 North Yorkshire (50) 58 1 1.72 
			 Northamptonshire 262 5 1.91 
			 Northumberland 656 — — 
			 Nottinghamshire 177 3 1.69 
			 Oxfordshire 247 3 1.21 
			 Shropshire 1,705 63 3.70 
			 Somerset 2,008 72 3.59 
			 South Yorkshire 117 1 0.85 
			 Staffordshire 1,779 69 3.88 
			 Suffolk 182 1 0.55 
			 Surrey 127 — — 
			 Tyne and Wear 30 — — 
			 Warwickshire 320 5 1.56 
			 West Midlands 34 — — 
			 West Sussex 176 1 0.34 
			 West Yorkshire 296 1 0.34 
			 Wiltshire 1,378 70 5.08 
			 Total 34,287 1,407 4.10 
			 
			 Wales
			 Clwyd 549 4 0.73 
			 Dyfed 4,424 154 3.48 
			 Gwent 895 36 4.02 
			 Gwynedd 586 4 0.68 
			 Mid Glamorgan 169 2 1.18 
			 Powys 2,161 104 4.81 
			 South Glamorgan 82 — — 
			 West Glamorgan 240 12 5.00 
			 Total 9,106 316 3.47 
		
	
	Source:
	Provisional data downloaded from the State Veterinary Service Data Warehouse on 19 May 2005. Subject to change as more data become available.

Cattle

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the over thirty months scheme will end; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We believe that the lifting of the OTM Rule for cattle born after 1 August 1996 will bring a much needed boost to the income of the livestock industry through increasing the market return on cull cows.
	We are hopeful that the replacing of the OTM rule with a robust BSE testing regime will only serve to increase consumer confidence in the safety and quality of UK beef.
	We expect the changes to the OTM rule to happen towards the end of this year, subject to Government being satisfied that the BSE testing regime is robust. The over thirty months scheme will then be replaced by a three year Older Cattle Disposal Scheme to dispose of cattle born before 1 August 1996.

Climate Change

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what decisions were reached by the recent meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on the impact of climate change.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	The decision of the 30th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on the impact of climate change is set out as follows. The UK will play an active part in realising this decision through support to an expert working group.
	The World Heritage Committee,
	Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7B.Rev,
	Recognising the work being undertaken within the framework of the UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), and the need for a proper co-ordination of such work with the activities under the convention,
	Takes note of the four petitions seeking to have Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal), Huascaran National Park (Peru), the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Belize) included on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
	Appreciates the genuine concerns raised by the various organisations and individuals supporting these petitions relating to threats to natural World Heritage properties that are or may be the result of climate change;
	Further notes that the impacts of climate change are affecting many and are likely to affect many more World Heritage properties, both natural and cultural in the years to come;
	Encourages all States Parties to seriously consider the potential impacts of climate change within their management planning, in particular with monitoring, and risk preparedness strategies, and to take early action in response to these potential impacts.
	Requests the World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the advisory bodies, interested states parties and petitioners, to establish a broad working group of experts to a) review the nature and scale of the risks posed to World Heritage properties arising specifically from climate change; and b) jointly develop a strategy to assist state parties to implement appropriate management responses;
	Welcomes the offer of the state party of the United Kingdom to host a meeting of such working group of experts;
	Requests that the working group of experts, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre, the advisory bodies and other relevant UN bodies, prepare a joint report on Predicting and managing the effects of climate change on World Heritage", to be examined by the committee at its 30th session (2006);
	Strongly encourages states parties and the advisory bodies to use the network of World Heritage properties to highlight the threats posed by climate change to natural and cultural heritage, start identifying the properties under most serious threats, and also use the network to demonstrate management actions that need to be taken to meet such threats, both within the properties and in their wider context;
	Also encourages UNESCO to do its utmost to ensure that the results about climate change affecting the World Heritage sites reach the public at large, in order to mobilise political support for activities against climate change and to safeguard in this way the livelihood of the poorest people of our planet.

Climate Change

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which actions required of the UK Government in the G8 Plan of Action on climate change are not already being undertaken by the UK Government.

Elliot Morley: We have already started work on all aspects of the G8 Gleneagles Plan of Action on climate change. Discussions of the more formal arrangements for implementation will take place with other countries through the G8 climate change Dialogue and it's first meeting on 1 November 2005.

Climate Change

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which items of the G8 Plan of Action are not (a) already part of agreements made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and (b) already being undertaken by other international bodies of which the UK is a member.

Elliot Morley: The Gleneagles Plan of Action is a new agreement between G8 partners to take action on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development through a series of items on transforming the way we use energy, powering a cleaner future, promoting networks for research and development, financing the transition to cleaner energy, managing the impact of climate change and tackling illegal logging. We will be utilising existing networks to achieve our goals, as well as setting up new agreements.

Climate Change

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate has been made of the change in carbon dioxide emissions that would result from the full implementation of the G8 Plan of Action on climate change.

Elliot Morley: Assessments of the change of carbon dioxide emission have been made throughout the drafting and negotiation of the G8 Gleneagles Plan of Action on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development. Although it is very difficult to quantify the impacts of the package as a whole our assessment of the final Plan of Action suggests that if implemented fully, with full participation from all the countries involved, those measures that can be more easily quantified will deliver annual savings of around 550 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2010—approximately equivalent to the emissions of the UK. By 2030 this is expected to rise to 4,500 MTCO2e—this is equivalent to around 19 per cent. of current global emissions.

Climate Change

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much additional investment in clean energy technologies from (a) public and (b) private sources is guaranteed under the G8 Plan of Action on climate change.

Elliot Morley: The G8 Plan of Action on climate change is a comprehensive programme of specific actions on clean energy and energy efficiency. The World Bank has agreed to lead on developing a framework for investment to finance these changes, which will be discussed at the first meeting of the G8 Climate Change Dialogue meeting on 1 November 2005.

Common Agricultural Policy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her latest estimate is of the total cost of the UK's contribution to the Common Agricultural Policy in each of the next five years if no major reforms take place.

Jim Knight: Figures for the UK's net contribution to EU institutions are given in the Treasury's statement on the 2005 EC Budget and measures to counter fraud and financial mismanagement and the 2005 Financial Statement and Budget Report. These figures are for the whole Budget, reflecting the fact that the UK contributes to the EC Budget as a whole rather than to specific components of it. As with other elements of total managed expenditure, forecasts are only available to the end of the current Spending Review in 2007–08.
	On this basis, the UK net contribution is as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			  Net contributions to EC budget (rounded) 
		
		
			 2003–04 outturn 3,264 
			 2004–05 estimated outturn 4,310 
			 2005–06 plans 3,764 
			 2006–07 plans 3,398 
			 2007–08 plans 5,173

Common Agricultural Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what year she aims to have secured further substantive revision to the common agricultural policy regime.

Jim Knight: It is a key priority of the UK's presidency of the European Union to secure agreement to reform of the CAP sugar regime this year. Reviews of some of the minor regimes (fruit and vegetables, wine and flax and hemp) are scheduled for 2006, and the dairy regime is due for review in 2008.
	The UK has also suggested a review of the whole EU budget—including, but not limited to, agriculture—midway through the next EU financial perspective (2007–13). If that is agreed by other member states, any resulting changes to the CAP budget may be made during the second half of that period.

Common Agricultural Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the balance of funds between pillar 1 and pillar 2 within the common agricultural policy.

Jim Knight: In 2004, pillar 2 expenditure accounted for 18 per cent. of the common agricultural policy. The UK is committed to rural development and views expenditure through pillar 2, as an important means of delivering public benefits and contributing to wider EU environmental objectives.
	CAP reform in 2003 replaced a voluntary modulation system with a EU compulsory system leading to a maximum of 5 per cent. modulation. We are now working to secure further voluntary modulation from pillar 1 to 2 in the context of the financial perspectives negotiations.

Conference Expenditure

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Department spent on (a) organising and (b) sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: Defra was formed in June 2001. The spend on organising and sponsoring conferences by the Communications Directorate since that time is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 2001–02 280,000 
			 2002–03 90,000 
			 2003–04 310,000 
			 2004–05 970,000 
		
	
	These costs do not include provision for G8 and EU presidency activity which is still being collated.

Dairy Prices

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what has been the average price of (a) one litre of milk and (b) 250 grams of butter in each year since 1997; and what those figures are at constant prices.

Jim Knight: Average retail prices for 1 litre of milk and 250 grams of butter are shown in the following table. The prices have also been converted to a constant price series using the All Items Retail Price Index. The All Items Retail Price Index and the constant prices for milk and butter (based on average 2004 prices) are also shown in the following table.
	
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Milk  
			 Retail price of whole milk (pence per litre)(16) 62 60 60 60 65 
			 Whole milk at constant 2004 prices (pence per litre) 73 69 68 66 70 
			   
			 Butter  
			 Retail price of butter (pence per250g) 83 85 84 82 79 
			 Butter at constant 2004 prices (pence per 250g) 98 97 95 90 85 
			   
			 Retail Price Index  
			 All Items Retail Price Index annual average (1987=100) 157.5 162.9 165.4 170.3 173.4 
		
	
	
		
			  2002 2003 2004 2005(17) 
		
		
			 Milk 
			 Retail price of whole milk (pence per litre)(16) 63 65 62 61 
			 Whole milk at constant 2004 prices (pence per litre) 67 67 62 60 
			  
			 Butter 
			 Retail price of butter (pence per250g) 77 76 80 77 
			 Butter at constant 2004 prices (pence per 250g) 82 78 80 75 
			  
			 Retail Price Index 
			 All Items Retail Price Index annual average (1987=100) 176.2 181.3 186.7 190.8 
		
	
	(16)Average price of one pint of delivered milk and the one pint equivalent of two pints of shop bought milk.
	(17)To June

Dairy Prices

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) the National Farmers Union, (b) supermarkets and (c) processors on the price of milk paid to farmers.

Jim Knight: Price negotiations between producers and processors, or processors and supermarkets are a private commercial matter in which the Government cannot and should not get involved, provided competition rules are respected. However, Ministers frequently meet representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain, and are therefore keenly aware of the issues, particularly current concerns about the sustainability of the industry at current and projected prices. For example, the Dairy Supply Chain Forum, which my Noble Friend Lord Bach chairs, met on 20 July. Lord Bach also attended the board meeting of Dairy UK on 12 July, and met the President of the National Farmers' Union on 21 July.

Dairy Prices

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on milk pricing following the April review.

Jim Knight: The current average farmgate price for milk delivered in April (the most recent month for which figures are available) was 17.68 pence per litre. This is only marginally below the price for April 2004 despite last year's cuts to intervention prices which were expected to result in lower farmgate prices. In partial compensation for the intervention price cuts, dairy farmers received a dairy premium subsidy payment in November 2004 worth 0.78 pence per litre. (This premium is not included in the farmgate price figures).

Emissions

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in motor transport.

Elliot Morley: A number of steps are currently being taken to reduce carbon emissions from the road transport sector. These include improvements to average new car fuel efficiency through the voluntary agreements between the European Commission and the automotive industry, complemented by changes to vehicle taxation, and support for low carbon fuels such as biofuels. In the area of fuel efficiency alone, new cars in the UK are now emitting some 10 per cent. less carbon dioxide per kilometre on average than in 1995. Policy measures in the transport sector alone are forecast to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by some 4.4 million tonnes of carbon a year by 2010.
	Fuel efficiency labels, similar to those currently displayed on fridges and other white goods, have been developed by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) in an effort to provide information to car buyers on how they can save money and help the environment. All 42 car brands in the UK have signed up to the introduction of the voluntary labelling scheme, and the label is due to be in all UK car showrooms by 1 September. As well as highlighting the fuel efficiency of every new car on sale, the labels also contain information on how much motorists can expect to pay in fuel bills in a typical year for a particular car, and whether the car qualifies for a reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty.
	The Climate Change Programme (CCP) published in 2000, is currently being reviewed by the Government. The CCP review is looking at how existing policies in all sectors are performing and the range of policies that might be put in place for the future. Evaluation of existing policies is almost completed and appraisal of possible new measures is currently under way. Responses to consultation along with outcome of analytical work will feed into the revised programme due to be published by the end of the year.

Emissions

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will increase vehicle excise duty for 4x4 vehicles that emit high quantities of carbon dioxide.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government keep all taxation policy under review. Any changes to taxation policy are announced by the Chancellor in the context of his Budget statement.

Farming

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what date she expects all the IACS-22 forms for the Environmental Stewardship scheme to be processed.

Jim Knight: The Rural Payments Agency currently has a list of priority IACS 22 cases for the Environmental Stewardship scheme. There are currently some 4,000 on the list and these are estimated to be completed by the end of August.

Farming

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulations protect the welfare of intensively farmed chickens; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The welfare of chickens is protected by the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress. More detailed standards are laid down in the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 1870). These regulations include specific requirements on inspections, record keeping, freedom of movement, buildings and equipment and feed and water.
	There is also a specific Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Meat Chickens and Breeding Chickens. Flock-keepers are required by law to have access to, and be familiar with this code, which encourages all those who care for chickens to adopt the highest standards of husbandry.

Farming

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effects on cashflow in farms of the time scale for establishing the Entry Level Stewardship scheme.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 July 2005
	Environmental Stewardship was launched on 3 March.
	It has been an important priority to ensure that farmers could continue to plan their activities over the whole farming year. It is for this reason we remain fully committed to the 1 August start date for Entry Level Stewardship agreements. In the light of current IT and land registration delays, the contingency arrangements we have put in place—extension of the closing date for applications and prioritisation of registration requests submitted to the Rural Payments Agency—should help ensure that as many farmers as possible can benefit from the 1 August start date. In addition, moving to monthly start dates after 1 August should ensure that any delays in processing applications thereafter should be kept to a minimum. ELS has been designed so that those entering into agreements will be paid every six months, rather than at the end of every year, thereby improving their cash flow.

Fisheries

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her assessment is of the effectiveness of the 12-mile pelagic pair trawl prohibition for bass and its impact on cetacean by-catch.

Ben Bradshaw: A full report on research conducted by the Sea Mammal Research Unit on behalf of Defra in the 2004–05 UK pair trawl fishery will be published on the Defra website in the autumn. A preliminary analysis suggests that there was a total mortality of 142 common dolphins in the 2004–05 season (compared to 429 in 2003–04 and 114 in 2002–03). The fuller report will include an assessment of factors contributing to the reduction in by-catch this season.
	The number of dolphins (includes common, white beaked, white sided and striped), stranded on south-west beaches in 2005 was 68, a decrease from the numbers recorded in 2003 (299) and 2004 (178).

Fisheries

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which Ministers from the UK attended each EU Fisheries Council meeting from the UK since 1997;
	(2)  on what occasions the Scottish Executive Fisheries Minister has requested to lead the UK delegation to a Fisheries Council meeting since 1999.

Ben Bradshaw: The Secretary of State and the Fisheries Minister have attended most joint Agriculture and Fisheries Councils and the Fisheries Minister has attended Fisheries Councils. On a few occasions other Defra Ministers have represented the UK at such meetings. Defra Ministers have been supported at various Councils by Ministers from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
	The Concordat between the Government and the devolved Administrations on co-ordination of European Union policy issues makes it clear that the UK Minister retains overall responsibility for the negotiations and determines how each member of the team can contribute to securing the agreed policy position. The Concordat emphasises the importance in negotiations of working as a UK team.
	The UK negotiating position in the discussions is agreed beforehand after full consultation between the Department and the devolved Administrations, which all play a thorough and constructive part in the process of developing the UK's negotiating position for Fisheries Councils.

Fisheries

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies she has assessed on the effects of warming waters in the central North sea on the movement of cod stocks into the northern North sea.

Ben Bradshaw: One of Defra's main areas of fisheries research is linking the abundance of young fish to changes in both parent stock size and environmental conditions. Other work studies the behaviour and movements of individual cod. This research is underpinned by an extensive monitoring system. These studies have allowed us to map changes in centres of concentration of North sea fish populations. The Defra studies are co-ordinated with others in Scotland, and international programmes such as the ICES-GLOBEC cod and climate change programme.
	There is evidence of some relatively greater abundance of cod in the north-eastern North sea compared with more southern areas. However this does not mean that cod have moved from the south to the north.

Fisheries

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of environmental factors on levels of cod stocks in the North sea.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's scientists have contributed to the assessments undertaken by ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management (ACFM). ACFM advised last year that changes in the North sea environment may have played a role in the reduced productivity of cod, but so too does the depleted state of the parent stock. ACFM advised that if, in addition to the impact of fishing, climate change or other environmental changes have played a role in the reduced productivity of fish stocks, it becomes even more essential that exploitation rates on these stocks be reduced, to sustain the stocks under conditions of lower productivity.

Foot and Mouth

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contractors have been paid (a) more than £5 million, (b) £1 to £499,999, (c) £500,000 to £999,999, (d) £250,000 to £499,999, (e) £100,000 to £249,999, £50,000 to £99,999, (g) £25,000 to £49,999, (h) £10,000 to £24,999, (i) £5,000 to £9,999 and (j) less than £4,999 for foot and mouth clean-up work.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally in the format required. The information could be collated only at a disproportionate cost.

Illegal Timber

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she supports the European Parliament resolution of 14 July in respect of action on illegal timber imports into the EU.

Elliot Morley: The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 6 July on implementation of the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) action plan to tackle illegal logging.
	The Government broadly supports the issues raised by the European Parliament, which fit closely with our aims for this dossier during the UK's presidency of the European Union.
	We agree that more rapid progress should be made on this dossier, particularly on ensuring that the Commission and member states deliver the review of additional legislative options. We also support the call for the formal negotiation of partnership agreements with timber producing countries to start, that negotiations should take civil society's view points into account and that the implementation of the resulting Partnership agreements is well funded. We have noted the European Parliament's view on the legal base for the draft regulation. However, a change to the current legal base would require the support of the Commission or unanimous agreement to change the legal base by member states, neither of which is forthcoming.

Internal Market Services Directive

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on environmental regulation of the EU Directive on services in the internal market.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 21 July 2005 by my hon. friend the Minister for Trade (Ian Pearson).

Landfill

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of former foodstuffs she estimates were sent to landfill in each year since 2000.

Ben Bradshaw: The requested data are not available in the form requested. The 1998–99 Environment Agency's National Waste Production Survey (NWPS) of 20,000 businesses in England and Wales, estimated it that 2.59 million tonnes of food waste were produced of which 25 per cent. was sent to landfill.
	However these figures only relate to that fraction of the waste that is definitely food. A considerable amount of food waste is also likely to be contained within the general and biodegradable category which amounted to around 12.8 million tonnes, of which a third went to landfill. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimate that the amount of food waste produced by the hotel and restaurant sector alone, for example, could be as high as 3 million tonnes per year.
	In 2003–04 households in England produced 25.4 million tonnes of waste, it is estimated that some 9 per cent. or around 2.4 million tonnes of this is compostable kitchen waste, including food waste. About 72 per cent. of household waste goes to landfill.
	Results from the Environment Agency 2002–03 waste survey are expected to be published in August.

Landfill

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether the Government are on course to meet the landfill diversion targets required under the Landfill Directive;
	(2)  what plans the Government have to measure progress towards their landfill diversion targets under the Landfill Directive.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government do not currently hold information on whether the UK is on course to meet the Landfill Directive targets the first of which is in 2009–10. The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme has been designed to ensure as far as possible that England does not breach any of its targets and the Environment Agency as monitoring authority will determine whether English authorities are landfilling waste in accordance with the allowances available.
	The Office for Government Commerce is currently undertaking an information gathering project on municipal waste services as part of the Kelly Market Programme. This is being conducted in partnership with the Local Government Association and other local government stakeholders to assess the current and future diversion capacity in England. The information from this project will be reported later in 2005 and will give a clear indication about how the Landfill Directive targets are going to be met. The intention is to review this project annually, to allow the Government to closely monitor and evaluate progress towards the targets.

Landfill

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the capital investment that will be required if the UK is to meet its obligations under the (a) Landfill Directive and (b) other EU waste directives.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has published Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) with the three rounds of consultation papers on the implementation of the Landfill Directive. This process has also been applied to other EU waste directives.
	Copies of RIAs relating to the following waste directives are available in the House Library:
	Landfill Directive
	Hazardous Waste Directive
	Waste Framework Directive
	Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
	End of Life Vehicles Directive
	Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive
	The RIA provides a framework for analysis of the likely impacts of a policy change and the range of options for implementing it. Among other things, the RIAs estimate the costs and benefits of implementing the various waste directives.

Livestock Feed

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that contaminated food is not fed to cattle.

Ben Bradshaw: I am answering on the basis that the question is being asked in the context of BSE and the livestock feed provided to cattle.
	The steps being taken are two-fold. Firstly, there are measures applied to ensure that all potentially BSE-infective material, including the carcasses of suspect animals, is effectively separated and disposed of, and is not therefore available for any use. But more directly, there are comprehensive and stringent feed controls which regulate the use of all animal protein products in the diets of all farmed animals, not just cattle. The controls now apply equally across the EU, banning animal proteins, with a few exceptions, from farmed animal feed.
	The State Veterinary Service in Great Britain carries out a comprehensive programme of monitoring to ensure compliance with the feed ban. Calculated against Great Britain's level of compound feed production, the yearly level of monitoring recommended in EU legislation is to undertake a minimum of 940 inspections and to take 1,882 feed samples. The State Veterinary Service carried out 2,295 inspections and took 17,239 samples under the National Feed Audit during 2004—i.e. nearly 2.5 times more than the recommended minimum number of inspections, and over nine times more than the recommended minimum number of samples. Monitoring over the years has always indicated a high level of compliance with the feed ban, and this is reflected in the continuing reduction of the incidence of BSE in cattle.
	The Department also keeps the efficacy of the feed ban under continuous review. An independent review by Professor William Hill FRS, of the University of Edinburgh, was requested by Defra and published on 7 July 2005. The review examined the possible reasons for the cases of BSE occurring since the reinforced feed ban in 1996, together with the control measures being applied by the Government. The review's conclusions re-confirmed the elimination of feed-borne sources to be the key to the eradication of BSE, and recommended that risk-based controls and monitoring should be maintained on animals and feed.
	Professor Hill's review is available on Defra's internet site on the BSE home-page under Latest developments" at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/index.htm

Ministerial Meeting

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made since the meeting of 15 June between the Minister in her Department responsible for water and WaterVoice the South West; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The meeting with WaterVoice South West dealt with a number of concerns and issues and there were two specific follow up actions. First, we agreed that the affordability pilot study in the South West should be subject to peer review to help ensure its conclusions are robust and intellectually rigorous. Since the meeting, WaterVoice and other organisations have been working with DEFRA to finalise the specification for the work. Second, I invited WaterVoice's views on DEFRA's review of tariff structures and I am pleased that they were able to participate in the first meeting and are now helping shape the scope and programme of work.

Newcastle Disease

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that imports of live (a) poultry and (b) game from elsewhere in the EU are not contaminated with Newcastle Disease; and if she will suspend all such imports until full biosecurity measures are in place.

Ben Bradshaw: Trade in game birds and poultry between EU member states is controlled by European Community legislation aimed to prevent the movement of diseased birds across the Community.
	It is the responsibility of the authorities in each member state to ensure that the requirements of community law are met. However the risk of disease can never be reduced to zero; therefore Community law also sets control measures to be taken when disease is identified.
	We maintain close contact with those member states where Newcastle disease is present and with the Commission who are satisfied that the measures we, and others, are taking are reasonable and proportionate.

Pesticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the quantity of pesticides used in England in each year from 1976.

Elliot Morley: The amount of pesticide active substances applied in England and Wales from 1976 to 2004, including sulphuric acid, are as follows:
	
		
			  Tonnes 
		
		
			 1976 21,703 
			 1977 25,584 
			 1978 25,638 
			 1979 25,230 
			 1980 25,004 
			 1981 24,550 
			 1982 36,150 
			 1983 35,499 
			 1984 35,476 
			 1985 35,303 
			 1986 35,236 
			 1987 35,198 
			 1988 30,013 
			 1989 29,635 
			 1990 28,852 
			 1991 28,345 
			 1992 25,288 
			 1993 25,966 
			 1994 26,178 
			 1995 26,329 
			 1996 27,266 
			 1997 27,273 
			 1998 26,907 
			 1999 26,705 
			 2000 26,047 
			 2001 25,941 
			 2002 22,276 
			 2003 21,948 
			 2004 (18)23,401 
		
	
	(18)Provisional figure

Regional Advisory Councils

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many regional advisory councils her Department has established; and what financial support her Department provides for them.

Ben Bradshaw: So far, the North Sea RAC is the only regional advisory council to be established, out of the seven proposed. Officials have worked closely with the North Sea RAC secretariat in Aberdeenshire council to secure its establishment in November 2004. The North Western Waters RAC and the Pelagic RAC are likely to become established during the UK presidency.
	DEFRA and fisheries departments from the Devolved Administrations provide a high level of support for the RACs, through dedicated staff members. They provide logistics support and assist with communication with the commission, other member states and stakeholders when stakeholders are forming proposals to establish the RACs. Since the establishment of the North Sea RAC, DEFRA has provided experts to assist the RAC with advice and help co-ordinate support from other member states.
	In addition, DEFRA are allocating £200,000 in 2005–06 (and more in 2006–07) to a new science budget to address regionally and locally generated fisheries management issues, particularly those in support of the work of the new regional advisory councils.

Scrapie

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the level of compensation for (a) sheep and (b) goats that have been destroyed because of scrapie is; how this compares to their market value; and whether additional payments for pedigree goat herds which are affected are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Compensation for a sheep or goat that is destroyed on suspicion of scrapie and found to be positive is £90 or £30 if the animal is at the end of its productive life. If tests are negative, compensation up to a maximum of £400 may be paid.
	Once action is taken in a flock or herd under the compulsory scrapie flocks scheme, animals that have to be killed and destroyed are compensated at the rate of £90 for a sheep or goat or £50 for a lamb or kid. (Slightly lower rates apply to ewes and lambs in flocks which have been granted derogations). We believe these rates are broadly in line with current market rates but we are currently undertaking a review.
	Under the compulsory scrapie flocks scheme a farmer who considers the compensation for his sheep or goats to be unreasonable can arrange a valuation by a valuer nominated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (or the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland).
	Compensation is also paid at market value when a sheep or goat tested at an abattoir under the surveillance programme is found to be positive. In these cases, the entire carcase from the animal is destroyed.

Scrapie

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evaluation she has made of research by (a) UK organisations, (b) the UK Government and (c) other EU member states into the spread of scrapie in herds of goats; on what scientific evidence the current guidelines for slaughtering an entire herd of goats if only one is diagnosed with scrapie are based; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Research carried out in the UK provides evidence that goats are susceptible to both BSE and scrapie and naturally occurring scrapie has been recorded in goats in Great Britain. As in sheep, the clinical appearance of these two conditions in goats cannot be distinguished. Control measures to protect public health from BSE are therefore directed at the eradication of all Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) diseases from sheep and goats within the EU. Research on sheep in the UK and Europe has shown certain PrP genotypes to be more resistant to TSE infection. This is the basis of the national scrapie plan in which selective breeding is used to establish sheep flocks with more resistant genotypes. Studies on goats have shown considerable variability in PrP genotypes but there is no currently available evidence that resistant genotypes exist which can be promoted through genetic selection. Control of TSE disease, and thus any potential for the presence of BSE, in goat herds is based on the culling of herds in which scrapie is found to exist.
	As there are very few cases of goat TSE reported in the UK, it has not been possible to carry out scientific epidemiological studies on the spread of TSEs in goats. Research is being done in European countries with much larger goat populations than the UK, notably in Cyprus where there is an ongoing TSE epidemic. DEFRA is monitoring this work to see if it has any implications for the UK goat population. Following the recently reported case of BSE in a goat in France the EU has announced a research call to investigate the topic of BSE infectivity in milk, milk products and meat derived from goats". DEFRA will also monitor the progress of this proposed research.
	The current whole-herd slaughter policy in herds where there is a confirmed case of a TSE in a goat is a requirement of European Community legislation (Regulation 999/2001). When drafting this legislation the commission took into consideration the opinion of their Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) on the safe sourcing of small ruminant (sheep and goat) material (4–5 April 2002). Because genotyping and removal of susceptible animals is not an option in goats, it was felt that the only way to protect consumers from the theoretical risk of BSE in goats was a whole goat herd cull policy. The commission are currently reviewing their TSE eradication policy for small ruminants.

Single Payment Scheme

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether paragliding will be permitted to continue on land under the new Single Farm Payment scheme without a reduction in the grants received by the land owner;
	(2)  what factors underlay the decision to include paragliding and hang-gliding in the 28 category in relation to the Single Payment Scheme; and if she will reclassify these activities as generally permitted activities.

Jim Knight: The Department's guidance on the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) and non-agricultural use of land balances the need for diversification opportunities with the necessity to abide by EU rules on eligibility of land under the scheme. The guidance is built around the degree to which non-agricultural use impedes or is inconsistent with normal farming activities. Having considered representations from interested parties, the guidance will now be updated to move paragliding and hang gliding to the list of generally permitted activities. This means that these activities may take place on an unrestricted number of days on land used in support of claims for payment under the SPS in 2005. We will review the guidance in its entirety for the 2006 scheme based on experience during this first year of the scheme and any further developments in the EU rules.

Tree Cover

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2005, Official Report, column 1040W, on tree cover, what the figures were for each London borough.

Jim Knight: The National Inventory of Woodland and Trees and the 1980 Census of Woodland did not record or publish data by London borough. However, the London Biodiversity Partnership's biodiversity audit 2000 included woodland and scrub habitat and this produced the results given in the following table.
	
		Woodland and scrub in London (area in hectares)
		
			 Borough Native woodland Non-native Coniferous Fen carr Scrub 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 5.7 0.9 — 0.4 28.0 
			 Barnet 277.6 66.3 8.3 — 126.0 
			 Bexley 104.0 119.4 14.7 0.2 59.0 
			 Brent 19.0 5.4 — — 31.9 
			 Bromley 1424.8 302.6 63.4 0.8 139.7 
			 Camden 116.2 18.3 1.1 — 2.5 
			 City of London — — — — 0.2 
			 Croydon 638.7 62.0 36.9 — 166.7 
			 Ealing 69.8 11.1 0.6 — 64.6 
			 Enfield 372.0 17.3 17.7 0.3 62.2 
			 Greenwich 218.1 53.7 0.4 — 73.3 
			 Hackney 6.3 9.8 — 0.2 1.4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1.0 8.0 — — 8.5 
			 Haringey 77.9 18.3 0.4 — 8.2 
			 Harrow 218.5 25.2 8.8 1.3 51.5 
			 Havering 307.5 55.7 0.3 10.5 122.4 
			 Hillingdon 614.1 42.6 0.9 2.6 156.4 
			 Hounslow 76.8 24.1 2.1 — 98.4 
			 Islington 1.7 1.7 — — 1.5 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3.9 11.1 — — 3.3 
			 Kingston 95.5 17.8 2.1 — 25.5 
			 Lambeth 17.1 17.5 — — 14.2 
			 Lewisham 42.9 40.5 0.6 — 19.3 
			 Merton 142.5 8.1 — — 62.0 
			 Newham 2.7 5.0 — — 33.0 
			 Redbridge 158.4 41.9 — — 78.9 
			 Richmond 396.2 78.0 0.9 — 35.2 
			 Southwark 47.7 34.4 0.0 — 11.6 
			 Sutton 36.5 57.0 2.6 — 42.8 
			 Tower Hamlets 3.0 4.1 — — 7.3 
			 Waltham Forest 228.2 9.2 0.8 — 28.5 
			 Wandsworth 169.4 37.2 — — 14.4 
			 Westminster 2.6 3.8 — — 0.4

Waste Management

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) paper, (b) plastic, (c) glass, (d) aluminium and (e) steel waste was collected in London in 2004, broken down by borough; and how much of each material was recycled in 2004, broken down by borough.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the amounts of material collected in the financial year 2003–04 is set out in the table. It is impossible to disaggregate aluminium and steel cans, so a figure for all cans is provided. It is also impossible to separate scrap metal from white goods (fridges, cookers etc).
	An increasing amount of waste for recycling is collected as co-mingled materials where the weight of the individual materials is not known. Most co-mingled collections include paper, and many include paper, glass and cans. The individual figures for these materials, therefore, do not include tonnage of individual materials collected as co-mingled which is listed separately.
	Defra does not measure the amount of waste actually recycled but the amount collected and sent for recycling by the local authorities, a small proportion of which is unfit for recycling and has to be disposed of.
	
		Tonnes
		
			 Local authority name Paper and card Plastic Glass Cans (steel and aluminium) Scrap metal and white goods Co-mingled materials 
		
		
			 Bexley LB 11,634 97 2,131 132 2,228 0 
			 Tower Hamlets LB 1,985 0 1,055 81 737 0 
			 London Corporation LB 329 0 91 1 18 0 
			 Westminster City Council LB 4,985 0 4,791 31 361 2,057 
			 Redbridge LB 5,967 0 1,110 61 121 690 
			 Newham LB 1,447 0 707 49 0 645 
			 Havering LB 947 0 1,548 6 217 4,501 
			 Barking and Dagenham LB 575 0 397 0 0 2,473 
			 East London Waste Authority(19) 392 2 84 8 6,203 0 
			 Waltham Forest LB 4,463 0 1,893 115 906 0 
			 Islington LB 3,485 0 2,003 86 0 0 
			 Haringey LB 3,605 0 1,794 101 1,321 0 
			 Hackney LB 510 0 388 14 461 3,340 
			 Enfield LB 8,068 329 1,904 85 205 0 
			 Camden LB 7,785 24 4,000 82 2,457 0 
			 Barnet LB 12,220 34 3,139 300 1,596 0 
			 North London Waste Authority(19) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Southwark LB 4,140 0 1,467 57 1,055 0 
			 Lewisham LB 6,801 1 1,709 46 193 30 
			 Greenwich LB 1,074 0 945 0 334 8,034 
			 Sutton LB 1,270 0 2,410 0 1,243 10,255 
			 Merton LB 5,849 0 1,731 1 578 674 
			 Kingston upon Thames LB 5,093 789 1,250 10 2,867 0 
			 Croydon LB 6,777 0 3,874 120 3,319 0 
			 Bromley LB 16,737 323 4,847 744 2,221 954 
			 Richmond upon Thames LB 8,713 0 4,250 186 1,267 0 
			 Hounslow LB 7,244 0 2,964 361 2,005 0 
			 Hillingdon LB 2,121 16 1,619 7 4,715 9,974 
			 Harrow LB 5,972 0 1,818 624 1,028 0 
			 Ealing LB 8,109 156 3,710 416 991 0 
			 Brent LB 5,895 8 2,270 163 15 0 
			 West London Waste Authority(19) 0 0 0 0 3,491 0 
			 Wandsworth LB 1,118 0 590 27 0 13,511 
			 Lambeth LB 5,386 0 3,814 353 122 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea LB 1,827 3 414 8 152 8,172 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham LB 1,771 0 860 27 180 5,495 
			 Western Riverside Waste Authority(19) 637 1 116 1 1,030 0 
			
			 All London Boroughs 164,930 1,783 67,692 4,302 43,637 70,806 
		
	
	(19)Data from Defra's latest Municipal Waste Management Survey covering the amounts of material collected at Civic Amenity sites managed by the four joint waste disposal authorities in London.

Waste Management

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) waste minimisation and (b) recycling targets the Government have set for local authorities for each year to 2015.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government set targets for England and Wales in Waste Strategy 2000 for the recycling and composting of household waste by 25 per cent. by 2005, 30 per cent. by 2010 and 33 per cent. by 2015.
	Each local authority in England was set an individual statutory performance standard for the recycling and composting of household waste for the financial years 2003–04 and 2005–06. For the future, the Government are currently undertaking a review of recycling and composting targets in the light of local authorities' performance against their 2003–04 targets.
	No targets have been set for waste minimisation. The review will also consider whether it is appropriate to introduce waste minimisation targets.

Waste Management

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department has in place (a) to reduce energy consumption, (b) to minimise waste and (c) to recycle waste; and whether these measures have been adopted by other central Government Departments and agencies.

Elliot Morley: The following energy and waste management measures are in place within Defra.
	(a) We are working with the Carbon Trust on a Carbon Management Programme, which will identify the scope for significant savings in energy consumption and related carbon emissions. Energy consumption at all sites is continually monitored against benchmarks to drive down consumption and facilitate appropriate reaction to increases.
	(b) Waste minimisation measures include raising awareness of the amount of waste generated (by waste stream) at individual sites to encourage local action for progressive reduction. Particular efforts are made to reduce paper waste by setting targets and campaigning for more efficient use of paper. Discussions also take place with suppliers to reduce packaging waste. By identifying the potential for re-using goods we divert them from the waste chain.
	(c) All Defra sites have facilities for separating waste streams for recycling.
	Within Defra we are increasingly managing these issues at local level through site specific Environmental Management Systems, accredited to ISO 14001.
	Similar measures have been adopted in other Government Departments and agencies. The Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate is the main vehicle for systematically assessing, reporting and improving Government performance in managing their own land and buildings sustainably. It sets cross-Government targets in all key operational areas including energy, waste and water. The Government are committed to reviewing the framework during 2005.

Waste Management

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities charge for the separate collection of green waste.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested for England is not held centrally. Waste is a devolved function and the hon. Member may wish to write to the devolved Administrations.

Waste Management

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of green waste collection and composting schemes on the levels of recycling of municipal waste; and how much municipal waste other than green waste was recycled in the last period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Figures are available for the amount of green waste collected for composting from households in England since 1996–97. Household waste constitutes about 90 per cent. of all municipal waste, and the vast majority of non-household municipal waste collected for recycling is rubble from construction and industry.
	The amount of waste collected for recycling from households has increased from 1.6 million tonnes in 1996–97 to 4.5 million tonnes in 2003–04. However, the amount of green waste collected for composting has increased from 0.3 million tonnes in 1996–97 to 1.4 million tonnes in 2003–04. In 2003–04 about 30 per cent. of household waste collected for recycling was green waste compared to only 17 per cent. in 1996–97.
	
		Household waste collected for recycling -- Thousand tonnes
		
			  1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Green Waste 278 383 454 668 798 978 1,189 1,360 
			 Other Materials 1,341 1,486 1,640 1,845 1,980 2,210 2,554 3,156 
			 All Materials 1,619 1,869 2,094 2,513 2,777 3,188 3,743 4,516 
		
	
	DEFRA will be publishing recycling data for 2003–04 as part of the Municipal Waste Management Survey to be launched on 1 August. The results of the survey will include information on the materials collected.

Water Charges

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to reduce the differences in water charges between the south-west and other regions of the country.

Elliot Morley: The south-west does have the highest bills in England and Wales, but like other companies, water companies must meet their costs, including those of environmental standards. Ultimately, those costs have to be met by their customers. Ofwat sets an upper limit on customer prices, but there is a strong and visible link between what the company spends and the customers who fund that through their bills.
	Measures to change the difference in water bills between regions would involve shifting some of the burden either onto national taxpayers or onto water customers in other parts of the country. There are no plans to subsidise South West Water's investment in this way. Any such measures would overturn the present legislative and regulatory framework—a system that has delivered impressive efficiency savings that have been passed on to customers.
	There are vulnerable customers throughout the country, not only in the south-west, and we must consider their costs and the way in which any changes in the current charging system would apply to them.

Water Charges

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to assist those on low incomes in the south-west to pay their water charges.

Elliot Morley: The Government have already taken action, through legislation, to alleviate problems with water affordability where there might be a risk to household health. We have legislated to stop household water disconnection because of inability to pay and set up protection for vulnerable groups on meters who might otherwise cut back on water that they could not afford.
	Financial support for families and for pensioners on low and moderate incomes has risen significantly in recent years. As a result of personal tax and benefit measures implemented by the Government since 1997, by September this year, in real terms families with children will be on average £1,350 a year better off, pensioner households will be on average £1,350 a year better off and the poorest third of pensioner households will have gained £1,750 a year.
	Further to the cross Government review of Water Affordability published in December 2004 we are working with other stakeholders on a pilot study in the south-west which will target, and assess the effectiveness of water affordability assistance to lower income households.

Water Charges

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister plays in the assessment of rateable values for water rates.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no role in the assessment of rateable values for water rates.
	Rateable values pre-date the current council tax system as a means of calculating local taxation rates. They were set by the Valuation Office, an executive agency of the Inland Revenue, and could be queried or reassessed prior to 1990, but this has not been possible since they ceased to be used for local taxation purposes and there has been no appeal mechanism since 31 March 1990.
	Water companies continue to use rateable values as a basis for unmeasured water charging.

Zoo Licensing Legislation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will (a) issue definitive guidance to local authorities on all species status under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (as amended) and (b) revise the Zoo Licensing Act 1981.

Jim Knight: On point (a) , the Department already issues comprehensive guidance to local authorities on the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (as amended) in the form of Defra Circular 02/2003 and the Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (last revised in 2004). In addition, the Zoos Forum (the Government's advisers on zoos issues) also publishes supplementary guidance.
	Circular 02/2003 includes guidance to local authorities on which groups of species are considered, for the purposes of the Act, to be wild animals" (thereby triggering the requirement for a zoo licence if exhibited) or normally domesticated" animals, focusing on cases which have caused uncertainty (this is updated by more recent guidance on llama and alpaca). The guidance is kept under review but there are no plans at present to develop further substantive guidance on this.
	On point (b) , there are no plans at present to further revise the Zoo Licensing Act 1981.

Environmental Funding

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding has been spent on or committed to environmental schemes within each growth area.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	All growth areas have benefited from various levels of investment in environmental schemes, much of which has been delivered through mainstream funding. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its non-departmental public bodies, such as the Countryside Agency, have invested approximately £65 million in environmentally based grant and programme support beyond mainstream funding since 2003 into the growth areas to support the development, protection and enhancement of all environmental assets. More targeted funding programmes led by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister such as the Growth Areas Fund and Liveability Fund, have provided £45.4 million between 2003 and 2006 to deliver environmental schemes to support the Sustainable Communities Plan.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

2020 Trust

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money her Department has given to the 2020 Trust in the last eight years; and for what purpose.

Maria Eagle: We have found no trace of any payments being made from the Department to an organisation named the 2020 Trust.

Adoption

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether European Union member states which have ratified the European Convention of the Adoption of Children recognise adoptions made in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The 1967 European Convention on the Adoption of Children aims to harmonise the laws in contracting states to promote the welfare of children who are adopted. However, the Convention does not provide for international recognition of adoptions made in the UK, or in any other country. It is a matter for each European Union member state which has ratified the Convention to decide whether to recognise adoptions made outside its jurisdiction.

Adoption

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reasons the weight of potential foster parents or adoptive parents is taken into account when people are considered as potential candidates.

Beverley Hughes: In respect of foster carers, the Fostering Services Regulations 2002 require fostering service providers to obtain information about the health of a prospective carer, as well as a range of other information, in order to assess that person's suitability and capacity to care effectively for a looked after child. There are no specific requirements relating to weight.
	In respect of adoptive parents, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 11 July 2005, Official Report, column 830W.

Adult/Community Learning

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the Learning and Skills Council funding for adult education in each county has been in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what funding on adult education in Northamptonshire not including the funding for 14 to 19-year-olds is planned for the next 10 years, expressed in (a) actual and (b) real terms; and what assessment she has made of the implications of the funding settlement for lifelong learning in the county over that period.

Beverley Hughes: The Department allocates funds for education and training in the post-16 learning and skills sector to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). In the Department's Grant Letter of 15 November 2004, the LSC was allocated £6.7 billion in 2005–06, £6.8 billion in 2006–07 and £7.1 billion in 2007–08 for learning participation, which includes funding for adult education. For the years from 2008–09, allocations will be determined by the next Spending Review. At local level, allocations are made by the LSC. This process has been completed for 2005/06 and the LSC expects to begin discussions about 2006/07 in September 2005.
	The LSC publishes details of its allocations to learning providers. Information for further education and adult and community learning for 2004/05 and preceding years are available on the LSC website.

Adult/Community Learning

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will ensure fee concessions remain in place for those aged 60 who wish to study in a further education college in Wirral.

Beverley Hughes: Older people will continue to be eligible for concessions funded by my Department through the Learning and Skills Council if they are receiving an income based benefit such as housing benefit or council tax benefit, or if they are receiving the pension (guarantee) credit. Learners of any age will also have access to literacy, numeracy and English language courses free of charge. Colleges in Wirral will continue to have considerable discretion in setting fees, and although we want colleges to raise more of the income they voluntarily forgo, we have no plans to stop colleges offering additional concessions if appropriate.

Adult/Community Learning

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget for adult and community learning per head of population for each local education authority is for (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07.

Phil Hope: The exact makeup and distribution of learning provision at local level are matters for local Learning and Skills Councils and their partners in colleges and other providers, according to their assessment of local needs and priorities. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with more detailed information. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
	Letter from Mark Haysom to Mr. Brady, dated 14 July 2005
	I write in response to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State where you asked a) the number of people in each local education authority who are engaged in adult and community learning b) the budget for adult and community learning per head of population for each local education authority for (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07.
	The information we have on numbers of learners relates to the last full year, August 2003 until July 2004. In that year, 922,707 learners participated in adult and community learning (ACL) programmes, including those participating in Family Learning, Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy (FLLN) as well as main ACL.
	ACL budgets for 2005/06 are with local Learning and Skills Councils, who are in the process of agreeing allocations with providers, including LEAs, for the year. Whilst it is not possible to supply complete LEA-level budget per head of population figures at present, I have attached the relevant figures at local LSC level.
	We will take decisions about programme funding for 2006/07 early in the new year.

Adult/Community Learning

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of people in each local education authority who are engaged in adult and community learning.

Phil Hope: The exact make up and distribution of learning provision at local level are matters for local Learning and Skills Councils and their partners in colleges and other providers, according to their assessment of local needs and priorities. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with more detailed information. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Mark Haysom to Mr. Graham Brady, dated 14 July 2005
	I write in response to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State where you asked a) the number of people in each local education authority who are engaged in adult and community learning b) the budget for adult and community learning per head of population for each local education authority for (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07.
	The information we have on numbers of learners relates to the last full year, August 2003 until July 2004. In that year, 922,707 learners participated in adult and community learning (ACL) programmes, including those participating in Family Learning, Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy (FLLN) as well as main ACL.
	ACL budgets for 2005/06 are with local Learning and Skills Councils, who are in the process of agreeing allocations with providers, including LEAs, for the year. Whilst it is not possible to supply complete LEA-level budget per head of population figures at present, I have attached the relevant figures at local LSC level.
	We will take decisions about programme funding for 2006/07 early in the new year.

Adults (Qualifications)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of working age people in the Southend West constituency hold a qualification at degree level or equivalent or above; and what the national average is.

Beverley Hughes: The following table shows both the number and proportion of those of working age 1 who hold at least a degree level or equivalent qualification (NVQ level 4 or higher) in England and the parliamentary constituency of Southend West.
	
		
			  Degree or equivalent (number) Degree or equivalent (Percentage) Estimate of error (Percentage) 
		
		
			 England 7,574,000 25.0 0.2 
			 Southend West 10,000 21.9 3.5 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey 2003–04
	Figures for two years earlier, in 2001–02, are presented for comparison in the following table:
	
		
			  Degree or equivalent (number) Degree or equivalent (Percentage) Estimate of error (Percentage) 
		
		
			 England 7,035,000 23.4 0.2 
			 Southend West 9,000 19.4 3.2 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey 2001–02
	1 Working age defined here as males aged 16–64 and females aged 16–59.

Affordable Childcare

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to improve access to affordable child care for working women.

Beverley Hughes: The stock of child care places has increased by over 537,000 places nationally since 1999. This benefits all working parents.
	The Government are also making significant contributions to help parents access affordable child care through tax credits. The child care element of the working tax credit enables parents to claim up to 70 per cent. of their child care costs to a maximum cost of £175 per week for one child and £300 per week for two or more children. From April 2006 the 70 per cent. maximum will increase to 80 per cent. making child care more affordable.
	In addition to tax credits, we have introduced free nursery education for all three and four-year-olds for 33 weeks per year. From April 2006, this free entitlement will be extended to 38 weeks per year and from 2007, the weekly entitlement will extend from 12.5 hours per week to 15 hours and parents will be able to use this flexibly over three days. This increase will again make child care more accessible and affordable to parents.
	Our recently announced Ten Year Strategy also included details of a Transformation Fund of £125 million a year which will be used to raise the quality and sustainability of affordable child care provision, ensuring value for money and without compromising affordability for parents.
	Our strategy also announced that the Department, together with the Greater London Authority will pilot a range of approaches aimed at improving the accessibility and affordability of good quality child care for parents on lower incomes. The first of these pilots is due to commence towards the end of this year.

African Faith Healers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research she has commissioned into the influence of African faith healers on vulnerable children.

Maria Eagle: Ministers have not commissioned research into the influence of African faith healers. However we are currently working with our partners in the Immigration Department, police, social services, faith and community groups and other experts to better understand this complex issue. That is why we have convened an urgent round-table discussion with representatives of all these groups, to continue the process of dialogue and investigation and to deepen engagement with these hard-to-reach communities. Following this discussion we will set out the scope of further work in this area.

African Faith Healers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with social services in (a) Angola and (b) Nigeria regarding African faith healers and child abuse.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 28 July 2005
	Ministers have not had discussions with social services in Angola or Nigeria regarding this issue.

Aimhigher Initiative

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the objectives and targets of the Aimhigher initiative are; and what assessment she has made of its effectiveness.

Bill Rammell: Aimhigher is funded to help widen participation in higher education (HE) and increase the number of young people who have the abilities and aspirations to benefit from it. The objectives are:
	to raise aspirations and motivation to enter HE among young people in schools, further education and workplace learning, who are from under-represented groups;
	to raise the attainment of potential HE students who are from under-represented groups, so that they gain the academic or vocational qualifications and learning skills that will enable them to enter HE;
	to strengthen progression routes into HE via vocational courses, including modern Apprenticeships;
	to raise students' aspirations to enter HE and to apply to the institution and/or course best able to match their abilities;
	to improve the attainment, aspirations, motivation and self-esteem of gifted and talented young people aged 14–19; and the quality of identification, provision and support for those students in schools and colleges.
	Further details can be found on the Aimhigher website www.aimhigher.ac.uk
	Recent evaluation of the early stages of the former Excellence Challenge programme, which funded activities now typically funded through Aimhigher, has reported measurable improvements in attainment and aspirations. It shows that:
	The programme has led to improved pre-16 attainment: pupils exposed to the programme are on average 4.6 percentage points more likely to attain a level 4 or above in Key Stage 3 Maths.
	At Year 11, those who have been exposed to the programme are on average likely to increase their total GCSE score by 2.5 points, which corresponds to an increase of between 2 and 3 grades in one GCSE.
	Exposure to the programme improves pupils' aspirations. The proportion exposed to the scheme and reporting that they intend to remain in full-time education until at least the age of 20 is 3.9 percentage points higher than it would be in the absence of the scheme.
	Targeting two groups, (Gifted and Talented, and Widening Participation) has been effective. For the Gifted and Talented group there has been an additional 13.32 months of progress at Key Stage 3, and an additional 4.42 points in total GCSE score. For the Widening Participation group, there has been an additional 6.48 months of progress at Key Stage 3, and an additional 1.16 points in total GCSE points score.
	The evaluation reports are available on the DfES website.

Appointments

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what appointments were made to lead bodies providing services within the education sector for which she is responsible in each year since 1997; and what their (a) role, (b) pay, (c) length of tenure at appointment and (d) previous experience in (i)the public sector and (ii) private sector was in each case.

Bill Rammell: Details of appointments to the boards of non-departmental public bodies are published each year in the departmental report, listing names, role, pay and term of appointment.
	The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) was established in June 2001. departmental reports for 2002 onwards are available online at the DfES website and in the House of Commons Library. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) reports for 1997 to 2001 are available in the House of Commons Library.
	Details of appointees' previous experience in the public or private sector are not recorded in the reports. This information is available from press notices announcing the appointments. Press notices from 1998 onwards are available from the DfES website.

Apprenticeships

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many apprenticeships have started since May 2004 resulting from employer leads directly attributable to the Learning and Skills Council's marketing campaign for apprenticeships, broken down by region.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Apprenticeships

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people in each region responded to the recent apprenticeship marketing campaign; and how many inquiries led to apprenticeship starts.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Apprenticeships

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many employers have started training apprentices since May 2004 as a direct result of the apprenticeship marketing campaign, broken down by region; and how many of those have never trained apprentices before.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Apprenticeships

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the Learning and Skills Council has spent on marketing and advertising apprenticeships, including development costs, since the beginning of 2004.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Apprenticeships

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many modern apprenticeships were taken up in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley in each of the last three years; and how many were not completed.

Bill Rammell: The Government are committed to providing high quality apprenticeships for young people and the number of apprentices in training has more than tripled since 1997 to around 250,000. The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for the planning and funding of apprenticeships and Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested for the North West, Lancashire and Chorley. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
	Letter from Mark Haysom to Mr. Lindsay Hoyle, dated 8 July 2005
	I write in response to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (which has been referred to the Learning and Skills Council LSC for a response) regarding how many school leavers are expected to take up apprenticeships in 2005–06 in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley.
	LSC Lancashire does not generate this information, however Connexions does gather data on the intended destinations of all young people leaving school each summer. The data for summer 2005 would give the best indication of the numbers of school leavers expected to take up apprenticeships in 2005–06. LSC Lancashire has contacted Connexions Lancashire and they have provided the following data. The number of young people in Lancashire intending to take up an apprenticeship is 4743 and of these, 284 will live in Chorley.
	I trust this is helpful.

Modern Apprenticeships

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the number of people (a) starting and (b) completing Modern Apprenticeships in 2005–06; and what funding has been allocated to Modern Apprenticeships in 2005–06.

Phil Hope: The Apprenticeship programme continues to go from strength to strength with record numbers of young people participating and completion rates improving more quickly than expected. We have ensured that sufficient funding is made available to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who deliver the programme, to meet our targets and aspiration in this area. This will continue in the next funding year 2005–06. However, the details asked are a matter for the LSC and I have asked the Council's Chief Executive Mark Haysom to write to the hon. Member and a copy of the reply will be placed in the Library.
	Letter from Mark Haysom to Mr. Stephen O'Brien, dated 5 September 2005
	I write in response to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which has been referred to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) by Phil Hope.
	You asked the number of people (a) starting and (b) completing Modern Apprenticeships in 2005–06; and what funding has been allocated to Modern Apprenticeships in 2005–06.
	The planning assumptions on which the Apprenticeship programme for 2005–06 has been based are as follows:
	(a) Apprenticeship starts forecasted at 232,394 learners.
	(b) Apprenticeship framework completions 65,260 learners.
	(c) Funding set aside for the Apprenticeship programme £831 million.
	You also what the total spending by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) was on promotion of apprenticeships in each of the last 10 years.
	The LSC was incorporated on 1st April 2001, as such the first financial year for which the LSC assumed responsibility for managing the delivery of apprenticeships was 2001–02. Table 1 below shows the total expenditure coded as marketing, advertising, development and promotion of apprenticeships in the LSCs accounts for the 2001–02 and subsequent financial years.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Financial Year Total expenditure (£ million) 
		
		
			 2001–02 8.715 
			 2002–03 10.750 
			 2003–04 4.684 
			 2004–05 15.050 
			 Total 39.200 
		
	
	During the financial year April 2004 to March 2005, the LSC spent £12.206 million on national marketing and promotion of Apprenticeships; this included the national employer campaign.
	Local LSCs spent a further £2.845 million undertaking brokerage activities with local partners to build on and respond to interest generated by the national employer campaign.
	To date the national media campaign has achieved 28,925 responses, resulting in 18,743 employer leads.
	Our research 1 also shows that awareness of Apprenticeships rose significantly during the campaign, with nearly 90% of employer respondents aware of Apprenticeships in October 2004 compared with 72% in December 2003 (pre-campaign).
	I trust this is helpful.
	1 Source: Apprenticeship Research: Employers
	Synovate November 2004
	Commissioned for the LSC by COI Communications

Chemistry

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many undergraduates studied (a) chemistry and (b) biochemistry in (i) 2004–05 and (ii) 1995–96 (A) in total and (B) as a percentage of the total undergraduate population.

Bill Rammell: The latest information is given in the following table:
	
		Undergraduate students(20)at English HE institutions1995/96 and 2003/04
		
			  Subject of study 
			  Chemistry Biochemistry (including molecular biology and biophysics) 
			  Student numbers Percentage of undergraduate population Student numbers Percentage of undergraduate population 
		
		
			 1995/96 12,960 1.1 5,125 0.5 
			 2003/04 10,390 0.7 5,945 0.4 
		
	
	(20)Based on a count of students as at 1 December in each academic year.
	Notes:
	1.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	2.In 2002/03, changes were made to the method used to allocate students to subjects of study. The main effect of this was to increase the number of students allocated to individual named subjects and to decrease those who were allocated to the Combined Course" category. This means that figures for 2002/03 and 2003/04 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Child Minders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many complaints against child minders investigated by Ofsted have subsequently turned out to be vexatious in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many investigations against child minders have been undertaken by Ofsted in each of the last five years; and how many resulted in action.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 18 July 2005
	These are matters for the Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted). David Bell, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector for Schools will write to the hon. Gentleman and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
	Letter from David Bell to Mr. Tim Loughton, dated 22 July 2005
	Your recent parliamentary questions concerning childminders have been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	You asked:
	(i) how many complaints against childminders investigated by Ofsted have subsequently turned out to be vexatious in each of the last five years.
	(ii) how many investigations against childminders have been undertaken by Ofsted in each of the last five years; and how many resulted in action.
	In relation to the first question, Ofsted does not record the number of vexatious complaints made against childminders. Ofsted's role is to help to secure better education and care through effective inspection and regulation. Ofsted looks into complaints which suggest that childminders and day care providers are not meeting the government's National Standards.
	Ofsted's first concern is with the welfare of the children in the provider's care. When Ofsted has investigated a complaint it records the outcome of the investigation. This could be the action the provider or Ofsted had to take to bring about compliance with the Standards or that Ofsted found the provider to be meeting the National Standards. Ofsted reports either outcome to parents and in its regular inspection reports. It does not record or report whether a complaint was vexatious. It may be, of course, that even if a complaint was vexatious it could still lead Ofsted to identify some areas for improvement in the childminder's practice and so have a positive impact on the children concerned.
	However, Ofsted does recognise that providers will have concerns about having a number of complaints recorded against their names, even if Ofsted on inspection found that National Standards were being met. For that reason, where it appears that a number of complaints could have been made by the same source and they all resulted in a finding that the Standards were being met, they are not reported on in inspection reports individually.
	Ofsted recognises the concern childminders may feel about this issue and is looking at its practice to see if it can handle complaints in a more transparent and effective way. The government has just consulted on a new duty to be placed on providers to investigate and report on complaints. It may be that Ofsted will be able to change its complaints procedures and recording in the light of this. It will work with provider organisations to make sure it does this as well as it can.
	In relation to your second question, please find attached two tables with this information.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to the Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		Investigations against child minders undertaken by Ofsted and the number of resulting actions(21)
		
			 Financial year(22) Number of investigations against child minders Number of resulting actions against child minders 
		
		
			 April 2004 to March 2005 2,448 456 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 2,550 398 
		
	
	
		
			 Transitional period(23) Number of complaints received by Ofsted about child care provision Number of resulting enforcement actions against child minders and providers of day care 
		
		
			 September 2001 to March 2003 (24)10,500 (24)410 
		
	
	(21)The law gives Ofsted a number of actions that it can follow in the event of a provider failing to meet their statutory obligations, including compliance notices, prosecution for some offences and cancellation of a registration. Ofsted can also impose specific conditions on a registration or suspend a registration whilst steps are taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of harm to children.
	(22)Ofsted's Early Years Directorate counts, records and publishes data by financial year, 1 April to 31 March, and not by calendar year.
	(23)The duty to regulate and inspect under 8s child care transferred from the local authorities to Ofsted on 1 September 2001. The first 18 months of Ofsted's regulatory activity, between 1 September 2001 and March 2003, was considered a transitional period. During the transition period Ofsted's focused on ensuring existing child care providers were able to make the transition from local authority requirements to the governments new minimum criteria for all under 8s child care set out in National standards for under 8s day care and childminding".
	(24)No breakdown between day care and child minding for the period (see following note).
	Note:
	Data recorded during the transitional period does not always differentiate between day care and child minding. We have provided child minder data where this is available.
	
		Breakdown of enforcement action
		
			 All figures are for child minding unless otherwise stated September 2001 to March 2003(25) April 2003 to March 2004(26) April 2004 to March 2005(26) 
		
		
			 Notice of compliance instructing providers they must comply with the National Standards (27)40 (Child minders 17) 130  130 
			 Change to conditions of registration (27)68 17 14 
			 Voluntary suspension of registration (27)106 77 95 
			 Statutory suspension of registration(28) n/a 29 27 
			 Cancellation of registration (27)45 36 81 
			 Emergency order from a Justice of the Peace (27)27 2 4 
			 Prosecution Confirming data 3 1 
			 Enforcement action against unregistered child minding 124 104 104 
			 Total number of resulting actions against child minders — 398 456 
		
	
	(25)The duty to regulate and inspect under 8s child care transferred from the local authorities to Ofsted on 1 September 2001. The first 18 months of Ofsted's regulatory activity, between 1 September 2001 and March 2003, was considered a transitional period. During the transition period Ofsted's focused on ensuring existing child care providers were able to make the transition from local authority requirements to the governments new minimum criteria for all under 8s child care set out in National standards for under 8s day care and childminding".
	(26)Ofsted's Early Years Directorate counts, records and publishes data by financial year, 1 April to 31 March, and not by calendar year.
	(27)Total for child minding and day care (see note 1).
	(28)Statutory powers to suspend providers came into force 1 April 2003.

Childcare Places

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new childcare places have been created in each of the last three years in (a) England, (b) Northumberland and (c) Wansbeck constituency.

Bill Rammell: The Department is unable to provide constituency level data on childcare places.
	However, from March 2002 to March 2005 nationally the registered stock of childcare places has increased by 282,549, with 1,564 of these being created in Northumberland. The following table details the number of places created in all local authorities (LAs) throughout England year by year, for the past 3 years.
	
		
			  Childcare places created 
			  2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 Total 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 93 257 72 421 
			 Barnet 465 296 901 1,662 
			 Barnsley 289 671 427 1,387 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 279 123 395 797 
			 Bedfordshire 1,302 926 -339 1,889 
			 Bexley 520 458 299 1,278 
			 Birmingham 444 2,549 1,179 4,172 
			 Blackburn UA 335 979 385 1,698 
			 Blackpool UA 434 344 258 1,036 
			 Bolton 402 1,045 301 1,749 
			 Bournemouth UA 470 797 830 2,098 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 142 280 -189 233 
			 Bradford 1,060 1,414 826 3,300 
			 Brent 303 674 253 1,229 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 264 482 453 1,199 
			 Bristol 1,282 1,002 -33 2,251 
			 Bromley -27 729 500 1,203 
			 Buckinghamshire 856 1,211 653 2,720 
			 Bury 6 551 487 1,044 
			 Calderdale 359 632 604 1,595 
			 Cambridgeshire 444 1,597 1,010 3,051 
			 Camden 217 234 -119 331 
			 Cheshire 580 1,579 880 3,039 
			 City of London -291 122 45 -124 
			 Cornwall 3357 1,536 870 5,763 
			 Coventry -181 766 603 1,187 
			 Croydon 387 747 1,388 2,522 
			 Cumbria 767 2,334 1,018 4,120 
			 Darlington UA 267 295 163 725 
			 Derby UA 404 639 206 1,249 
			 Derbyshire 1231 945 1,143 3,319 
			 Devon -17 730 982 1,695 
			 Doncaster 662 945 852 2,460 
			 Dorset 33 478 664 1,174 
			 Dudley 474 351 214 1,040 
			 Durham 672 920 536 2,128 
			 Ealing 227 778 415 1,421 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 542 691 13 1,247 
			 East Sussex 817 1,850 627 3,294 
			 Enfield 377 395 217 989 
			 Essex 948 1,150 1,068 3,165 
			 Gateshead 180 464 589 1,232 
			 Gloucestershire 32 184 401 617 
			 Greenwich 843 612 376 1,831 
			 Hackney 277 547 1,651 2,475 
			 Halton UA 7 1,204 163 1,374 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 378 323 641 1,342 
			 Hampshire -2260 4,481 1,823 4,044 
			 Haringey 230 838 596 1,664 
			 Harrow 581 492 59 1,132 
			 Hartlepool UA 710 533 426 1,669 
			 Havering 686 459 469 1,614 
			 Herefordshire 634 371 32 1,038 
			 Hertfordshire 868 3,727 1,271 5,866 
			 Hillingdon -421 255 -115 -281 
			 Hounslow 185 326 553 1,064 
			 Isle of Wight 293 226 235 755 
			 Isles of Scilly 16 -76 -1 -61 
			 Islington 63 241 336 640 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 292 266 116 675 
			 Kent -58 3,354 2,811 6,107 
			 Kingston Upon Hull 1422 520 305 2,248 
			 Kingston Upon Thames 21 496 350 867 
			 Kirklees 428 881 602 1,911 
			 Knowsley 172 476 587 1,235 
			 Lambeth 458 1,091 627 2,175 
			 Lancashire 215 3,854 2,617 6,685 
			 Leeds 1532 402 823 2,756 
			 Leicester UA 138 142 188 468 
			 Leicestershire 4028 1,732 628 6,389 
			 Lewisham 540 1,029 451 2,020 
			 Lincolnshire 1537 1,699 656 3,892 
			 Liverpool 306 1,611 1,056 2,973 
			 Luton UA 1015 899 542 2,455 
			 Manchester 578 1,378 224 2,180 
			 Medway 690 733 442 1,865 
			 Merton 627 733 329 1,689 
			 Middlesbrough 383 -146 252 489 
			 Milton Keynes UA 334 662 1,146 2,141 
			 NE Lincolnshire 557 621 398 1,576 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 552 629 177 1,358 
			 Newham 721 1,191 185 2,097 
			 Norfolk 759 2,761 588 4,109 
			 North Lincolnshire 531 391 326 1,248 
			 North Somerset 282 682 560 1,524 
			 North Tyneside 316 1,291 -105 1,501 
			 North Yorkshire 918 1,800 124 2,842 
			 Northamptonshire 46 2,015 1,589 3,649 
			 Northumberland 323 755 486 1,564 
			 Nottingham UA 198 491 129 818 
			 Nottinghamshire 1485 2,362 82 3,929 
			 Oldham 660 1,606 325 2,592 
			 Oxfordshire 941 2,055 238 3,234 
			 Peterborough UA 854 1,015 403 2,272 
			 Plymouth 585 911 414 1,910 
			 Poole UA 389 285 79 752 
			 Portsmouth UA 52 570 629 1,252 
			 Reading 31 958 5 994 
			 Redbridge 374 591 1,051 2,016 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 356 657 -6 1,007 
			 Richmond Upon Thames 78 423 567 1,068 
			 Rochdale 503 705 -328 880 
			 Rotherham 472 578 79 1,129 
			 Rutland UA 56 164 119 339 
			 Salford 643 803 112 1,558 
			 Sandwell 640 630 -94 1,177 
			 Sefton 488 899 247 1,635 
			 Sheffield 965 1,729 1,029 3,722 
			 Shropshire 643 775 427 1,845 
			 Slough UA 196 -108 495 584 
			 Solihull 295 28 388 711 
			 Somerset 66 789 180 1,035 
			 South Gloucestershire 604 470 532 1,606 
			 South Tyneside 364 1,811 -551 1,625 
			 Southampton UA 43 1,466 167 1,675 
			 Southend UA 345 824 110 1,279 
			 Southwark 48 1,005 1,319 2,373 
			 St. Helens 402 511 983 1,896 
			 Staffordshire 1013 2,839 1,142 4,994 
			 Stockport 68 592 446 1,107 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 341 797 442 1,580 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 315 607 410 1,331 
			 Suffolk 1459 2,926 1,372 5,757 
			 Sunderland 140 490 672 1,302 
			 Surrey 1465 1,835 1,065 4,365 
			 Sutton 276 460 660 1,396 
			 Swindon 224 727 267 1,218 
			 Tameside 500 688 558 1,745 
			 Telford and Wrekin UA 296 193 -257 232 
			 Thurrock UA 427 704 95 1,227 
			 Torbay UA 215 695 106 1,015 
			 Tower Hamlets 777 655 195 1,627 
			 Trafford 314 766 -230 850 
			 Wakefield 691 794 839 2,325 
			 Walsall 505 872 -92 1,284 
			 Waltham Forest 399 366 -54 711 
			 Wandsworth 346 871 201 1,418 
			 Warrington UA 409 942 -151 1,200 
			 Warwickshire 2533 1,155 1,097 4,785 
			 West Berks 383 -368 686 700 
			 West Sussex 1574 1,626 1,516 4,716 
			 Westminster -404 208 -242 -439 
			 Wigan 562 1,153 441 2,155 
			 Wiltshire -79 629 964 1,514 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 103 553 340 996 
			 Wirral 1325 485 315 2,125 
			 Wokingham UA 134 -13 386 508 
			 Wolverhampton 722 205 502 1,429 
			 Worcestershire 924 1,712 -86 2,550 
			 York UA 46 37 207 290 
			 National total 74,931 134,864 72,585 282,381

Childcare Vouchers Scheme

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received about the eligibility of teachers for the salary-sacrifice childcare vouchers scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Ministers and the Department have received a number of written and telephone representations from teachers and teacher employers about the use of salary sacrifice for childcare vouchers. The possibility of making salary sacrifice available to teachers for childcare vouchers and other benefits is currently being considered.

Childcare Vouchers Scheme

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the practicality of altering the school teachers' pay and conditions document to enable provision for salary-sacrifice childcare vouchers.

Beverley Hughes: Making a provision for salary sacrifice in the school teacher's pay and conditions document, enabling teachers to use this facility for childcare vouchers and other benefits, requires the consideration and recommendation of the independent School Teachers' Review Body following a remit from my right hon. Friend. Such an alteration would also be preceded by consultation with national representatives of teachers, employers and governors.

Childcare Vouchers Scheme

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching staff have had salary-sacrifice childcare vouchers issued and subsequently withdrawn since the scheme began.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not held centrally.

Communication Aid Project

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many applications are outstanding under the Communication Aid Project for speech and language therapy equipment for children with special educational needs;
	(2)  what plans she has to extend the funding for the Communication Aid Project; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Communication Aids Project (CAP) is designed to help pupils with significant communication difficulties. This includes difficulties with understanding language, impaired oral communication or difficulties with written communication. The project supplies assistive technology to meet individual, assessed needs.
	Since it began in April 2002, CAP has provided assessment, equipment and training for 3,662 pupils. According to the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, who administer CAP on behalf of the Department, there are currently 430 pupils either awaiting assessment, or awaiting equipment following CAP assessment.
	On present indications, it is expected that providing for these children will take up all available CAP funding in 2005–06. If, however, expenditure falls short of anticipated levels, the difference will be deployed in support of additional cases. These would be drawn from a further 439 referrals, currently on hold. All applicants have been informed of the position.
	CAP is currently funded to March 2006. We will be reviewing the case for further funding in the months to come as part of a wider review of expenditure priorities.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many letters to her Department from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one-month-old, (ii) two-months-old, (iii) three-months-old, (iv) four-months-old and (v) over six-months-old.

Beverley Hughes: Information on letters from hon. Members is not collected in this format. The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns 137–40WS.

Cycling

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to encourage cycling among school children.

Beverley Hughes: The Department for Education and Skills is one of six Departments overseeing the new expert body, Cycling England, which has been created to plan the investment of £5 million for each of three years to inspire more cycling, more safely". Cycling England's first annual work plan will be published shortly and I expect it to contain new programmes supporting cycling to school.
	In September 2003 the Government launched the Travelling to School" action plan to encourage more walking and cycling on the journey to school, by developing travel plans. Schools receive a capital grant on completion of their travel plans, and to date around £35 million has been paid to over 6,000 schools with travel plans. Much of this money has been spent on cycle storage facilities, lockers and other facilities supporting cycling.

Departmental Purchasing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the companies from which her Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each company.

Bill Rammell: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Dyslexic Students

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements have been put in place for students with dyslexia whose reading age is equal to their chronological age and who may have difficulties with short-term memory and speed of processing when taking examinations.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 19 July 2005
	I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1582W about the arrangements that the awarding bodies make for students with special requirements. The Joint Council for Qualifications' Guidance referred to in that reply states that students with a dyslexic condition affecting short-term memory and speed of processing may be allowed up to a maximum of 25 per cent. extra time, granted by centres and depending on need, to finish writing papers.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of people in receipt of education maintenance allowance in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne; how many people she estimates are eligible for education maintenance allowance in the City; and what the take-up rate in the City is.

Beverley Hughes: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of those in receipt of an education maintenance allowance of (a) £30, (b) £20 and (c) £10 are studying in (i) a further education college, (ii) a sixth form college, (iii) a school sixth form, (iv) an independent school and (v) another institution.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 4 July 2005
	This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
	Letter from Rob Wye to Annette Brooke, dated 20 July 2005
	I am writing on Mark Haysom's behalf, due to him currently being on annual leave, in response to your Parliamentary Question in which you asked the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of those in receipt of an education maintenance allowance of (a) £30, (b) £20 and (c) £10 are studying in (i) a further education college, (ii) a sixth form college, (iii) a school sixth form, (iv) an independent school and (v) another institution."
	Information on students in receipt of education maintenance allowance and broken down by the three defined payment bands of £30, £20 and £10 is set out in the table below. This information is further broken down by institution type using the categories that we have adopted for EMA purposes. We do not hold this information for the institution types that you have specifically requested.
	
		Percentage
		
			  Band 
			 Establishment Type £30 £20 £10 
		
		
			 Academies 88.6 5.0 6.4 
			 City Technology College 74.9 11.3 13.7 
			 Community 74.2 11.9 13.9 
			 Community Special 88.2 6.3 5.5 
			 Foundation 72.6 12.5 15.0 
			 Foundation Special 85.7 6.1 8.2 
			 Further Education 81.0 9.2 9.8 
			 Higher Education Institutes 81.3 8.3 10.4 
			 Independent Approved for SEN pupils 47.0 22.7 30.3 
			 Miscellaneous 69.0 10.3 20.7 
			 Non-Standard Institute 85.0 6.7 8.3 
			 Non Maintained Special 56.5 18.6 24.8 
			 Other Independent 75.2 12.9 12.0 
			 Other Independent Special 94.7 2.6 2.6 
			 Pupil Referral Unit 94.1 5.9 0.0 
			 Secure Units 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Sixth Form Centres 80.0 8.5 11.6 
			 Voluntary Aided 74.3 11.8 13.9 
			 Voluntary Controlled 69.2 13.8 16.9 
		
	
	I hope this information is helpful and addresses your question. If you would like further details please contact Clare Worsdale at the LSC National Office on 0114 207 4546 or Clare.Worsdale@lsc.gov.uk

Equality and Diversity

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the Department has spent promoting equality and diversity in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Education and Skills commitment not to discriminate unfairly on any grounds is set out clearly in our recently revised equality and diversity policy, which recognises that everyone should have an equal opportunity to meet their aspirations, realise their full potential and improve their life chances. Making this policy a reality is our opportunity to contribute to delivery of both economic prosperity and the development of a fair and inclusive society.
	Equality and diversity is the responsibility of everyone in the Department and many teams take actions within existing budgets, in the normal course of business. It is therefore not possible to establish specific costs for each separate activity. Over and above this there are a small number of teams within DfES who have specific responsibility for championing and promoting equality and diversity, their budgets amounting to some £18.5 million over the last five years (this is 0.02 per cent. of the total education budget). In addition further corporate awareness raising or training initiatives in this period have cost in excess of £0.5 million and publication of our revised Race Equality Scheme was at a cost of £5,000k.

Extended Schools Initiative

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance her Department plans to provide to (a) schools and (b) local authorities to help them identify voluntary sector partners as part of the extended schools initiative; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The DfES recognises the significant role of voluntary sector and community organisations in supporting schools and local authorities (LAs) to deliver extended services. They will be key to the successful delivery of extended services and local authorities and schools will need to draw on their provision and expertise. Initial guidance for schools and LAs on partnership working with voluntary sector providers is available through the Extended Schools prospectus, launched on 13 June 2005. Also a Know How" leaflet entitled, Involving and Working with the Voluntary and Community Sectors", available through the Extended Schools website (www.teachernet.gov.uk/extendedschools), offers practical guidance and information on partnership working, engaging with voluntary and community organisations and useful contacts.
	The NRT (National Remodelling Team) and ContinYou will be supporting local authorities in developing their extended services and in doing so will support them in brokering partnerships with the voluntary sector.
	There are many voluntary and community sector organisations that schools will know through their existing contacts and other partnership working, such as through Education Improvement Partnerships (formerly know as Foundation Partnerships). Local authorities, through established contacts, can provide advice about wider groups, agencies and services and neighbourhood—level initiatives that are willing to working in partnership to develop extended services.

Finnish Education System

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make an assessment of the effect on the Finnish education system on the teaching of social behaviour and willingness to learn in early years education; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: We are keen to learn from the experiences of other countries in developing policy and programmes and make regular assessments of what is happening in key comparator countries such as Finland. The Department has carefully assessed the OFSTED study The education of six year olds in England, Denmark and Finland" and the OECD review of Early Childhood and Early Care (ECEC) which includes Finland. We have learnt from these international studies and the Department's own Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) study that supporting children's early personal, social and emotional development and helping children to develop a positive attitude to learning in a holistic approach is crucial to future success.
	The Department is taking forward a significant programme of work to support children's holistic development in all early years settings. The widely welcomed Birth to Three Matters and Foundation Stage set out the key principles that enable children to develop the key skills and positive attitude needed for all future learning. As we set out in our Childcare Bill Consultation we will be developing the Early Learning Development and Learning Framework that will ensure that young children are able to access the same high quality experience regardless of the type of setting they attend. The Framework will support practitioners in creating stimulating, inclusive, caring and learning environments so that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Fostered Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of children in foster care who achieved no GCSE grades A* to C in 2004 had three or more placements in the previous two years;
	(2)  what proportion of children in foster care who achieved five or more GCSE grades A* to C in 2004 had three or more placements in the previous two years.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the educational attainment of looked after children is not collected centrally by type or number of placements. However, information on the GCSE grades of all children who have been looked after for 12 months or more may be found in Table C of Outcome Indicators for Looked-after Children, 12 months to 30 September 2004—England" which is available on the internet at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgatewav/DB/VOL/v000580/Vol03–2005.pdf

Green/White Papers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) Green and (b) White papers her Department has produced since 1997; and if she will list these in date order.

Maria Eagle: The following list shows the Green and White papers produced between 1997 and 2001.
	A list of all Command Papers produced by Departments from 10 May 2001 to the end of June 2005, prepared by the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) has been placed in the Library. This list, by Department, details the Command Paper number, title and date of publication.
	A list of Command Papers from 2001 onwards is also available on the OPSI website at www.opsi.gov.uk with links to the Command Papers where known. The list can be viewed alphabetically by Department as well as numerically.
	Green Papers (consultative and discussion documents):
	1997
	Excellence for all children: meeting special educational needs
	Connecting the learning society: National Grid for Learning. Consultation paper. DfEE, October 1997. ISBN: 0 85522 645 5.
	Framework for the organisation of schools: technical consultation. DfEE, August 1997.
	Guaranteeing standards: a consultation of the structure of awarding bodies. A summary report. DfEE, July 1997.
	Millennium Volunteers a consultation document for citizens service. Consultation document DfEE, October 1997. ISBN: 0 85522 659 5.
	Qualifying for success: a consultation paper on the future of post-16 qualifications. DfEE, October 1997.
	Target setting and benchmarking in schools. Consultation paper. DfEE, September 1997.
	Targets for our future: a consultation document. DfEE, December, 1997.
	Teaching: high status, high standards: General Teaching Council—a consultation document. DfEE, September 1997.
	1998
	The learning age: a renaissance for a new Britain
	Teachers: meeting the challenge of change
	Meeting the childcare challenge: a framework and consultation document.
	Accountability in further education: a consultation paper. DfEE, March 1998.
	Advantage: consultation on a code of practice for age diversity in employment. DfEE, November 1998. ISBN: 0 85522 919 5.
	Code of practice on LEA-school relations: Draft guidance. DfEE, March 1998.
	Duties of trade organisations to their disabled members and applicants: Consultation on proposals for a Code of Practice. Consultation package. DfEE, July 1998.
	Education Development Plans: Local Education Authorities plans to promote improved standards of pupil performance. DfEE, February 1998.
	Employment Zones Consultation Paper. DfEE, February 1998.
	Fair funding: improving delegation to schools. Consultation document. DfEE, May 1998.
	Homework: guidelines for primary schools. Draft for consultation. DfEE, April 1998.
	Homework: guidelines for secondary schools. Draft for consultation. DfEE, April 1998.
	Improving access to information about post-16 learning opportunities. Consultation Document. DfEE, May 1998.
	Induction for new teachers. Consultation Document. DfEE, April 1998. ISBN: 0 85522 7702.
	Ingredients for success: a consultation paper on nutritional standards for school lunches. DfEE, October 1998. ISBN: 0 85522 884 9.
	Learning and working together for the future: a consultation document. DfEE, October 1998. ISBN: 085522 629 3.
	New requirements to make good facilities and services more accessible to disabled people. Consultations on a code of practice and regulations. DfEE, July 1998.
	Parent governor representatives on Education Committees: Consultation paper. DfEE, April 1998 and on website.
	Schools capital strategy. Consultation paper. DfEE, February 1998.
	Teaching: high status, high standards: the composition of the General Teaching Council. Consultation document. DfEE, April 1998.
	TECS: meeting the millennium challenge. DfEE, July.
	1999
	Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant. Consultation paper. DfEE, June 1999.
	Excellence in cities. DfEE, 1999.
	Learning to succeed: school sixth form funding. Consultation paper. DfEE, 1999.
	2001
	Schools building on success : raising standards, promoting diversity, achieving results
	
		White Papers (policy documents)
		
			  Document Command paper 
		
		
			 1997 Excellence in schools Cm 3681 
			 1998 Promoting disabled people's rights: creating a Disability Rights Commission fit for the 21stcentury Cm 3977 
			 1999 Learning to succeed: a new framework for post-16 learning Cm 4392 
			 2001 Opportunity for all in a world of change Cm 5052 
			 — Schools achieving success Cm 5230

Higher Education

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many UK-domiciled higher education qualifiers at (a) first degree and (b) postgraduate degree level there were in each year between 1994 and 2004.

Bill Rammell: The latest information is shown in the table:
	
		UK domiciled students obtaining higher education qualifications English HE institutions 1994/95 to 2003/04
		
			  Qualification obtained 
			  Postgraduate First Degree 
		
		
			 1994/95 59,055 181,215 
			 1995/96 67,320 189,425 
			 1996/97 70,515 190,795 
			 1997/98 70,660 189,505 
			 1998/99 71,930 193,070 
			 1999/00 74,795 194,045 
			 2000/01 90,135 199,550 
			 2001/02 93,280 201,215 
			 2002/03 96,060 206,350 
			 2003/04 103,105 212,575 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils in (a) Southend, (b) the Metropolitan Police area of London and (c) Hertfordshire went on to higher education from (i) maintained school sixth forms, (ii)sixth form colleges, (iii) further education colleges and (iv) special schools in the last year for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: Figures on participation by local areas were published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in January in Young Participation in England", which is available from their website at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_037. Participation rates for local education authorities based on this work (including those within the Metropolitan Police area), showing figures for the years up to 2000, are given on the supporting POLAR website (www.hefce.ac.uk/polar). However, the figures are not dis-aggregated by type of school attended.
	The Department uses the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) to assess progress on increasing first-time participation of English students aged 18–30 in higher education towards 50 per cent.: the latest provisional figure for 2003/04 is 43 per cent. The HEIPR is not calculated at local area level.

Immigration and Asylum

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was in each of the last three financial years of delivering education to individuals and their families in the immigration and asylum system.

Bill Rammell: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost, however the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) estimate that in 2003–04, the latest period for which data are currently available, further education (FE) colleges received approximately £47 million for the education of asylum seekers and their dependants. Information for earlier years is not readily available. Asylum seekers and their dependants are eligible for FE if they are supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) or receive similar (usually local authority) support. Asylum seekers not receiving NASS or similar support are not eligible for publicly funded FE.
	In the first quarter of 2005, the number of asylum applications was 22 per cent. lower than the same period in 2004, and 69 per cent. lower than the fourth quarter of 2002. This fall in intake follows the introduction of a range of measures by the Government to reduce the number of unfounded asylum claims. We are continuing to introduce measures that will reduce the number of unfounded claims still further and increase removals of failed asylum seekers.
	The Department does not keep separate records on the number of children of those in the immigration and asylum system who are being educated at school. Nor do data produced by the Higher Education Statistics Agency separately identify individuals and their families in the immigration and asylum system studying in higher education courses. It is not therefore possible to estimate costs for these areas of education.

Looked-after Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many independent children's homes are registered in England.

Maria Eagle: Information provided by CSCI indicates that 1,239 independent children's homes were registered in England, as at 19 July 2005.

Looked-after Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) announced and (b) unannounced inspections of children's homes have taken place since July 2004; how many homes have been inspected; and what percentage of the total this represents.

Beverley Hughes: The number of children's homes registered with the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) at 31 March 2004 was 1,845. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) took over the responsibilities of the NCSC on 1 April 2004 and at 31 March 2005 2,046 children's homes were registered with the Commission.
	Between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2005 CSCI completed 100 per cent. of its regulatory inspections of children's homes. Between July 2004 and June 2005 CSCI inspected 1,984 children's homes making 1,488 announced inspections and 1,762 unannounced inspections. The 1,984 homes inspected represents 97 per cent. of the 2,046 children's homes registered with the Commission.

Looked-after Children

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of looked-after children (a) under the age of two, (b) aged two to five, (c) aged six to 10 and (d) aged ten or above experienced three or more changes of placement in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001, (iii) 2002, (iv) 2003 and (v) 2004.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is provided in the following tables:
	
		Children looked after at 31 March 2000 to 2004, with three or more placements during the year1, 2, 3: England -- Number
		
			 Age at 31 March 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 All children 11,600 9,600 9,100 9,000 7,900 
			 Under 2 1,200 790 810 720 640 
			 2–5 1,800 1,300 1,200 1,200 880 
			 6–10 2,400 1,800 1,600 1,500 1,200 
			 Over 10 6,200 5,700 5,600 5,600 5,200 
		
	
	(29)Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements.
	(30)Figures taken from the SSDA 903 return.
	(31)Figures over 1,000 are rounded to nearest 100. All other figures are rounded to the nearest 10
	
		Children looked after at 31 March 2000 to 2004, with three or more placements during the year as a proportion of each age group for all looked after children1, 2, 3: England -- Percentage
		
			 Age at 31 March 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 All children 20 16 15 15 13 
			 Under 2 25 17 16 14 12 
			 2–5 19 14 13 13 10 
			 6–10 17 13 11 11 9 
			 Over 10 21 19 17 17 16 
		
	
	(32)Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements.
	(33)Figures taken from the SSDA 903 return.
	(34)Figures over 1,000 are rounded to nearest 100. All other figures are rounded to the nearest 10

Looked-after Children

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local authorities have a specific policy for service provision for minority ethnic looked-after children.

Maria Eagle: Information about the number of local authorities which have a specific policy for service provision for minority ethnic looked-after children is not collected centrally. Information from the Commission for Social Care Inspection indicates that they are at a range of different stages in adapting their services in order to comply with their statutory duty to promote race equality, as required by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by her Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Maria Eagle: This information could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within the Department was.

Maria Eagle: This information could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Mathematics

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of schools were rated good or better by Ofsted at teaching mathematics at key stages (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4.

Jacqui Smith: This is a matter for HM Chief Inspector of Schools. David Bell, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector for Schools will write to the hon. Gentleman and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
	Letter from David Bell to Mr. Nick Gibb, dated 22 July 2005
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	You asked how many, and what proportion, of schools were rated good or better by Ofsted at teaching mathematics at key stages (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4.
	The most up to date information about the teaching of mathematics comes from the 2003/04 Annual Report. The proportions of schools that were inspected in which the teaching of mathematics was good or better, by Key Stage, are as follows.
	
		
			  Percentage Number 
		
		
			 Key Stage 1 69 2,200 
			 Key Stage 2 73 2,300 
			 Key Stage 3 69 430 
			 Key Stage 4 65 360 
		
	
	It is important to note the following points in relation to this data:
	The number of schools in each case is shown in parenthesis.
	The percentages relate to the number of schools inspected not the total number of schools in England.
	The Key Stage 3 numbers are greater than those for Key Stage 4 partly because they include middle schools (deemed secondary).
	Numbers of schools are rounded to the nearest 100 for Key Stages 1 and 2,and to the nearest 10 for Key Stages 3 and 4.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Jacqui Smith and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Mathematics

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of (a) undergraduate and (b) graduate students in English universities studying mathematics degrees were foreign nationals in the last year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The latest information is shown in the table:
	
		Students(35) in UK HE Institutions studying mathematical sciences(36)—2003/04
		
			  All Undergraduates(37) Graduates 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 UK 21,665 90 4,910 91 
			 EU 465 2 115 2 
			 Overseas 2,000 8 370 7 
			 Total 24,130 100 5,393 100 
		
	
	(35)Covers any students who enrolled at any point during the academic year.
	(36)Covers Mathematics, Statistics and Computing Science.
	(37)Covers students on any year of an undergraduate course.
	Note:
	Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5, so components may not sum to totals.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Mathematics

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of schools in Southend in each of the last five years were rated good or better by Ofsted at teaching mathematics at key stages (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4.

Beverley Hughes: This is a matter for HM Chief Inspector of Schools. David Bell, Her Majesty Chief Inspector for Schools will write to the hon. Gentleman and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
	Letter from David Bell to Mr David Amess dated 2 August 2005
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	You asked how many and what proportion of schools in Southend in each of the last five years were rated good or better by Ofsted at teaching mathematics ay key stages (a) 1, (b) 2, (c)3 and (d) 4.
	The attached table provides the proportion of schools, by key stage, where the teaching of mathematics was judged to be good or better.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Jacqui Smith and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	The tables below provide the numbers and proportion of schools, by key stage, where the teaching of mathematics was judged to be good or better.
	
		
			 Year(38) Total number of schools Inspected(40) Total number of KS1 Maths Judgements(39) Percentage of good or better KS1 Maths Judgements Total number of KS2 Maths Judgements Percentage of good or better KS2 Maths Judgements 
		
		
			 2000/01 8 3 67 4 50 
			 2001/02 14 6 50 5 100 
			 2002/03 1 0 0 0 0 
			 2003/04 10 4 75 4 75 
			 2004/05(41) 6 5 80 4 75 
		
	
	
		
			 Year(38) Total number of KS3 Maths Judgements(39) Percentage of good or better KS3 Maths Judgements Total number of KS4 Maths Judgements Percentage of good or better KS4 Maths Judgements 
		
		
			 2000/01 0 0 0 0 
			 2001/02 3 67 3 100 
			 2002/03 0 0 0 0 
			 2003/04 2 100 2 100 
			 2004/05(41) 2 100 2 100 
		
	
	(38)Years 2000/01, 2001/02 and 2002/03 include both short and full inspections.
	(39)In years 2000/2001, 2001/02 and 2002/03 these judgements were only made in full inspections.
	(40)The total number of key stage judgements does not equal the total number of schools inspected.
	(41)2005 only included those schools inspected before 30 of June 2005.

Mathematics

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students commenced undergraduate courses in (a) mathematics and (b) mathematics combined with another subject in English universities in each of the last 30 years.

Bill Rammell: The available information, covering institutions in Great Britain, is shown in the tables. Changes in the classification of subjects and in the coverage of institutions mean it is not possible to produce a consistent time series for the whole of this period. A corresponding time series for institutions in England is not available centrally.
	
		Entrants to full-time undergraduate mathematics and mathematics/physics courses Universities(42)in Great Britain1973/74 to 1984/85
		
			 Academic year Entrants 
		
		
			 1973/74 3,660 
			 1974/75 3,645 
			 1975/76 3,485 
			 1976/77 3,655 
			 1977/78 3,900 
			 1978/79 4,185 
			 1979/80 4,445 
			 1980/81 5,020 
			 1981/82 5,175 
			 1982/83 5,105 
			 1983/84 5,035 
			 1984/85 5,130 
		
	
	(42)Former UFC-funded universities
	Source: Universities Statistical Record (USR). Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	
		Entrants to full-time undergraduate mathematical science(43)courses Universities(44)in Great Britain 1985/86 to 1993/94
		
			 Academic year Entrants 
		
		
			 1985/86 3,350 
			 1986/87 3,150 
			 1987/88 3,415 
			 1988/89 3,745 
			 1989/90 4,155 
			 1990/91 4,020 
			 1991/92 4,115 
			 1992/93 4,085 
			 1993/94 4,525 
		
	
	(43)Mathematics, statistics and combined mathematical sciences. The subject classification of higher education courses was totally revised for the 1985/86 academic year.
	(44)Former UFC-funded universities.
	Source: Universities Statistical Record (USR). Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	
		Entrants to full-time undergraduate mathematical sciences(45)courses HE institutions(46)in Great Britain
		
			 Academic year Entrants 
		
		
			 1994/95 5,650 
			 1995/96 5,190 
			 1996/97 5,615 
			 1997/98 5,930 
			 1998/99 5,255 
			 1999/2000 5,410 
			 2000/01 5,425 
			 2001/02 5,700 
			 2002/03(47) 6,505 
			 2003/04 6,700 
		
	
	(45)Covers mathematics, statistics and combined mathematical sciences.
	(46)Covers former UFC-funded universities, post-1992 universities, and HE colleges.
	(47)In 2002/03, changes were made to the method used to allocate students to subjects of study. The main effect of this was to increase the number of students allocated to individual named subjects and to decrease those who were allocated to the combined course" category. This means that figures for 2002/03 and 2003/04 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Media Literacy

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how her Department defines media literacy.

Beverley Hughes: There is no single agreed definition of media literacy. OFCOM, the organisation whose duty it is to promote media literacy, define it as: the ability to access, understand and create communication in a variety of contexts.

Media Literacy

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department has strategies for improving media literacy in (a) school education, (b) further and higher education and (c) adult education; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: There is a range of activity across the Department to support aspects of media literacy. It does not exist as a separate subject in the national curriculum but, as part of a wide ranging and comprehensive English curriculum, pupils should study the language of media to develop their critical faculties. Media literacy can also be part of the approach to teaching and learning in any subject and has particular relevance in History and Citizenship.
	The Department's e-Strategy Harnessing Technology: Transforming Learning and Children's Services," supports the use of ICT, e-learning, Virtual Learning Environments, the internet, gaming, videoconferencing, the use of web cams and digital photography. The system-wide priorities and sector specific actions in this strategy will help provide the infrastructure to support media literacy. A copy of the strategy can be accessed at: www.dfes.gsi.gov.uk/publications/e-strategy
	Programmes of study in higher education are a matter for individual institutions to determine and develop.
	Under the Communications Act 2003 OFCOM (the independent regulator for the UK communications industries) has a statutory duty to promote better media literacy. As part of this activity OFCOM has been working with the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and its partners, including the Department, in Adult Learners' Week during May 2005, in which the promotion of media literacy was a central theme.
	We will be seeking to work closely with DCMS and OFCOM to ensure that media literacy gains the appropriate focus in education.

New Members

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will arrange a Tuesday morning briefing by Ministers and senior officials introducing the work of the Department to new hon. Members.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1281W by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House.

Nursery Places

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many (a) three and (b) four-year-old children in Southend West attended nursery in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many children in Southend West have taken up free nursery places in each year since the policy was introduced; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: All four-year-olds have been entitled to a free early education place since 1998 and from April 2004 this entitlement was extended to all three-year-olds. The free entitlement consists of a minimum of five two and a half hour sessions per week for 33 weeks of the year for six terms before statutory school age, which is the term following their fifth birthday.
	Some local authorities may additionally offer subsidised child care places but this information is not collected centrally.
	The latest provisional figures for January 2005 show that all four-year-old children receive some form of free entitlement. The figure for three-years-olds is 98 per cent. This covers all maintained, private, voluntary and independent providers and represents an estimated 546,400 three-year-olds and 573,500 four-year-olds.
	Related information on the number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four-year-olds in Southend West parliamentary constituency area is only available for January 2004. These figures are shown in the table. The available information for Southend-on-Sea local education authority area since 1997 is also shown.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 18/2005 Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2005 (provisional)" in May, which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgatewav/.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(48)taken up by three and four-year-olds Southend-on-Sea local education authority area.Position in January each year
		
			  3-year-olds 4-year-olds 
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools(49) Other maintained and private, voluntary and maintained independent providers Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools(50) Other maintained and private, voluntary and maintained independent providers Total 4-year-olds 
		
		
			 1997 210 (51)— 210 (51)— (51)— (52)1,900 
			 1998 250 (51)— 250 (51)— (51)— (52)2,100 
			 1999 390 (51)— 390 (51)— (51)— (52)2,200 
			 2000 450 (53)0 450 (51)— (51)— (52)2,100 
			 2001 450 (53)440 890 (51)— (51)— (52)2,100 
			 2002 490 (53)750 1,200 1,600 (52)450 2,000 
			 2003 450 (53)870 1,300 1,600 (54)480 2,100 
			 2004 450 (55)1,100 1,600 1,500 (56)520 2,000 
		
	
	(48)Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(49)Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(50)Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(51)Not available
	(52)Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(53)Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(54)Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(55)Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(56)Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(57)taken up by three and four-year-olds Southend West parliamentary constituency Position in January 2004
		
			  
		
		
			 3-year-olds  
			 Maintained nursery and primary schools(58) 150 
			 Other maintained and private, voluntary and maintained independent providers(59) 500 
			 Total three-year-olds 840 
			   
			 4-year-olds  
			 Maintained nursery and primary schools(60) 690 
			 Other maintained and private, voluntary and maintained independent providers(61) 290 
			 Total 4-year-olds 960 
		
	
	(57)Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(58)Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(59)Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools1 Census.
	(60)Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools1 Census.
	(61)Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	Changes in pupil figures may arise from changes to the underlying population in the local education authority area and other factors. However, my Department doesn't publish population figures for individual age cohorts at sub-national level because of the unreliability of the underlying population estimates. The Office for National Statistics publish sub-national population estimates in five-year age bands.

Offenders' Learning Skills Unit

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people are working in the Offenders' Learning Skills Unit; and what their total annual budgets were for (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 expressed in (i) financial terms and (ii) as a percentage of the Learning and Skills Council budget.

Beverley Hughes: 33 people currently work in the Offenders' Learning and Skills Unit within the Department for Education and Skills.
	Funding outturn for offender learning and skills in 2004–05 was £126 million and is planned to be £151 million in 2005–06.
	Expressed as a percentage of the Learning and Skills Council budget, the offender learning totals would be the equivalent of around 1.5 per cent. in each year.

Open University

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many overseas students from EU member states are enrolled with the Open university in Milton Keynes; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: In 2003/04 there were 11,177 students based in the EU (outside the UK) enrolled at the Open university 1 . The number of students from EU member states based in the UK and enrolled in the Open university is 270 for 2003/04 2 .
	Sources
	1 The Open University.
	2 Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Opinion Surveys

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) subject matter and (b) dates were of opinion survey research undertaken by the Department and its agencies in the last 12 months; if she will place copies of the results of each survey in the Library; which companies were used in conducting the research; and how much each was paid.

Bill Rammell: In the last 12 months the Department carried out the following pieces of research into public opinion of the education and skills system. Information about opinion survey research carried out by the Department's agencies is not held centrally.
	
		
			 Title Subject Matter Date Company Cost Available 
		
		
			 British Social Attitudes Survey Views on education and skills issues. June-October 2004 National Centre for Social Research 65, 521 Results are published by the National Centre for Social Research at http://www.natcen.ac.uk Results for 2004 are due to be published in November 2005. 
			   
			 Public Perception of Education Views on standards and issues May 2005 Taylor Nelson Sofres 21,050 The results will be published as part of our research programme in the Autumn. A copy will also be placed in the Library. 
		
	
	The Department also carries out a range of research to inform the development and evaluation of specific policies, some of which includes surveys of opinion. The Department publishes its research on the last Thursday of each month and research reports are available at www.dfes.gov.uk/research

Overseas Students

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from (a) China and (b) India took courses in (i) science and (ii) engineering at higher education institutions in England at (A) undergraduate and (B) postgraduate level in each year between 1994 and 2004.

Bill Rammell: The latest information is given in the following table:
	
		Students(62)from China(63)and India, enrolled on Science and Engineering courses(64)English HE institutions 1994/95 to 2003/04
		
			  Postgraduate Undergraduate 
			  Science(65) Engineering Science(65) Engineering 
		
		
			 1994/95 
			 China 235 415 — 110 
			 India 95 115 15 95 
			  
			 1995/96 
			 China 240 470 5 135 
			 India 105 160 20 110 
			  
			 1996/97 
			 China 215 480 10 60 
			 India 115 150 10 145 
			  
			 1997/98 
			 China 155 440 10 50 
			 India 105 140 15 190 
			  
			 1998/99 
			 China 150 460 25 90 
			 India 130 150 20 245 
			  
			 1999/2000 
			 China 165 505 30 245 
			 India 125 195 25 210 
			  
			 2000/01 
			 China 205 670 115 580 
			 India 145 230 40 250 
			  
			 2001/02 
			 China 245 915 240 885 
			 India 230 380 50 325 
			  
			 2002/03 
			 China 370 1,510 415 1,425 
			 India 390 1,380 85 415 
			  
			 2003/04 
			 China 570 2,495 705 1,605 
			 India 535 1,820 105 525 
		
	
	(62)Based on a count of students as at 1 December each year.
	(63)Excluding students from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
	(64)In 2002/03, changes were made to the method used to allocate students to subjects of study. The main effect of this was to increase the number of students allocated to individual named subjects and to decrease those who were allocated to the Combined Course" category. This means that figures for 2002/03 and 2003/04 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	4.Science includes Biological and Physical Sciences.
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Higher Education statistics Agency (HESA).

Physiotherapy Graduates

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many graduates from physiotherapy degrees approved by the Health Professions Council there have been in each academic year since 2000–01.

Beverley Hughes: The information is not held centrally. The Higher Education Statistics Agency produce annual summaries of newly qualified graduates by subject, but those with physiotherapy degrees are not separately identified.

Policy Costings

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what costings of (a) Liberal Democrat and (b) Conservative party policies her Department has (i)undertaken, (ii) co-ordinated in the previous 12 months and (iii) advised upon in the previous 12 months.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1334W.

Prisoner Education

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was in 2004–05 of education for foreign national prisoners.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected.

Prisoner Education

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her Department's total expenditure has been on prisoner education in each financial year since it took over responsibility for prisoner education from the Home Office.

Bill Rammell: The following table sets out the expenditure by the Department for Education and Skills on offender learning and skills in each full year since 2001–02.
	
		
			  Spend (£ million) 
		
		
			 2001–02 57 
			 2002–03 70 
			 2003–04 114 
			 2004–05 (65)122 
		
	
	(65)Includes £10 million for offenders in the community.

Public Sector Education Provision

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the effect of the EU Directive on Services in the Internal Market on public sector provision of (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) further and (d) higher education.

Beverley Hughes: I refer to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 1930W.

School Attendance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils attend each (a) primary and (b) secondary school in Southend.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools: Number (headcount) of pupils: January 2005 (provisional)—Southend-on-Sea
		
			  Number of pupils 
		
		
			 Barons Court Infant School and Nursery 146 
			 Blenheim Primary School 458 
			 Bournemouth Park Primary School 533 
			 Bournes Green Infant School 180 
			 Bournes Green Junior School 282 
			 Chalkwell Hall Infant School 312 
			 Chalkwell Hall Junior School 416 
			 Darlinghurst Primary and Nursery School 389 
			 Earls Hall Infant School 267 
			 Earls Hall Junior School 354 
			 Eastwood infant and Nursery Foundation School 181 
			 Eastwood Junior School 226 
			 Edwards Hall Infant School 182 
			 Edwards Hall Junior School 275 
			 Fairways Primary School 406 
			 Friars Primary School and Nursery 521 
			 Hamstel Infant School 452 
			 Hamstel Junior School 467 
			 Heycroft Primary School 424 
			 Hinguar Community Primary School 290 
			 Leigh Infant School 264 
			 Leigh North Street Junior School 354 
			 Milton Hall Primary School 443 
			 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School 423 
			 Porters Grange Primary School and Nursery 540 
			 Prince Avenue Primary Foundation School and Nursery 382 
			 Richmond Avenue Primary School 411 
			 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery 238 
			 St George's Catholic Primary School 206 
			 St Helen's Catholic Primary School 207 
			 St Mary's, Prittlewell, CofE Primary School 417 
			 Temple Sutton Primary School 758 
			 The Westborough Primary School and Nursery 704 
			 Thorpe Greenways Infant School 334 
			 Thorpe Greenways Junior School 482 
			 Thorpedene Infants' School 262 
			 Thorpedene Junior School 335 
			 West Leigh Infant School 360 
			 West Leigh Junior School 513 
			   
			 Beifairs High School 1243 
			 Cecil Jones High School 1532 
			 Prittlewell Technology College 917 
			 Shoeburyness High School 1510 
			 Southend High School for Boys 914 
			 Southend High School for Girls 967 
			 St Bernard's High School 869 
			 St Thomas More High School for Boys 941 
			 The Eastwood School (11–18) 922 
			 The Thorpe Bay School 578 
			 Westcliff High School for Boys 985 
			 Westcliff High School for Girls 1032 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

School Closures

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the schools whose closure has been approved by her Department in each year since 1997; and what the reason was for each closure.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

School Leavers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people left school at 16 years in (a) Southend, (b) Essex and (c) England with no qualifications in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The table gives the number of 15-year-olds with no passes in GCSE qualifications and the proportion of the 15-year-old cohort for Southend LEA, Essex LEA and England between 1998 and 2004.
	
		
			  England Essex LEA Southend LEA 
			  Number of 15-year-olds with no passes Percentage of 15-year-old cohort Number of 15-year-olds with no passes Percentage of 15-year-old cohort Number of 15-year-olds with no passes Percentage of 15-year old cohort 
		
		
			 2004 26,624 4.1 553 3.4 103 5.0 
			 2003 32,518 5.2 652 4.2 113 5.7 
			 2002 32,624 5.4 664 4.4 145 7.3 
			 2001 32,939 5.5 621 4.2 93 5.0 
			 2000 32,691 5.6 596 4.1 93 5.4 
			 1999 35,036 6.0 617 4.3 101 5.9 
			 1998 37,868 6.6 674 4.7 160 9.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Figures for 2004 are for GCSE and Equivalent qualifications. Figures for 1998 to 2003 are for GCSE and GNVQs only.
	2.LEA figures only include pupils at maintained schools. England figures include all pupils.
	3.Local government reorganisation took place on the 1 April 1998 and there are therefore no comparable figures for Essex and Southend prior to 1998.
	4.Ages are taken at the start of the academic year (i.e. 31 August).

School Leavers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people left school at 16 years in (a) Southend, (b) Essex and (c) England with no qualifications, but subsequently gained qualifications by attending sixth form or higher education, in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: PSA targets for attainment by age 16 and 19 are based around young people reaching level 2 (5 GCSEs A* to C or equivalent). Provisional matched administrative data show that 49.2 per cent. of 19-year-olds in 2004 in England had attained at least level 2 by age 16 increasing to 67.0 per cent. by age 19. This equates to around 110,000 additional learners attaining at least level 2 between age 16 and 19. Around 3,000 of these additional learners achieved in the Essex Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area. Figures are currently not available for respondents with no qualifications or below local LSC area. This is the first year for which we have matched data to age 19, hence time series data are not available.

School Places (Cambridgeshire)

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many parental appeals were made against the allocation of school places in Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997; and how many were upheld.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools(66): Admission appeals. Each academic year: 1996/97 to 2003/04Cambridgeshire local education authority
		
			  Maintained primary 
			   Appeals heard Appeals decided in parent's favour 
			  Number of appeals lodged Number Percentage(66) Number Percentage(67) 
		
		
			 1996/1997 178 142 79.8 83 58.5 
			 1997/1998 94 77 81.9 59 76.6 
			 1998/1999 111 99 89.2 71 71.7 
			 1999/2000 196 143 73.0 79 55,2 
			 2000/2001 235 181 77.0 108 59.7 
			 2001/2002 194 147 75.8 93 63.3 
			 2002/2003 112 77 68.8 36 46.8 
			 2003/2004 120 88 75.9 63 71.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained secondary 
			   Appeals heard Appeals decided in parent's favour 
			  Number of appeals lodged(66) Number Percentage(66) Number Percentage(67) 
		
		
			 1996/1997 335 312 93.1 208 66.7 
			 1997/1998 164 134 81.7 108 80.6 
			 1998/1999 266 251 94.4 138 55.0 
			 1999/2000 366 294 80.3 180 61.2 
			 2000/2001 269 194 72.1 123 63.4 
			 2001/2002 287 231 80.5 138 59.7 
			 2002/2003 265 202 76.2 87 43.1 
			 2003/2004 182 144 79.1 75 52.1 
		
	
	(66)Number of appeals heard by a committee expressed as a percentage of the number of appeals lodged by parents.
	(67)Number of appeals decided in favour of the parents expressed as a percentage of the number of appeals heard by a committee.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census and Admission Appeals Survey

School Playing Fields

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school playing fields there have been in each of the past 10 years; and what their total area has been.

Beverley Hughes: Data on school playing fields have been supplied to the Department by local education authorities in 2001 and 2003. However, because the data were incomplete and of variable quality, it is not possible to accurately assess the number and area of school playing fields.

School Pupils (Weapons/Drugs)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in Milton Keynes have been found to be in possession of (a) a weapon and (b) drugs on school premises in each of the last 10 years.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not held centrally.

Schools Access Initiative

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools in the Southend West constituency received funding from the Schools Access Initiative in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04 and (d) 2004–05.

Beverley Hughes: This information is not collected centrally. Overall funding under the School Access Initiative amounted to £320 million over the years 2001–02 to 2004–05. Funds were made available to local education authorities to distribute to schools in their area in the light of local priorities. Southend on Sea local authority received £1,074,679 over this period from the Schools Access Initiative.

Science Graduates

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of science qualified graduates that (a) left the UK and (b) entered the UK as foreign nationals to take-up employment in the last year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The latest information on the numbers of newly qualified science graduates leaving the UK to take up overseas employment, is shown in the table. Information on the numbers of foreign graduates entering the UK to take up employment is not held centrally.
	
		Employment rates of UK domiciled full-time first degree science(68)graduates UK HE Institutions—2003/04
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Total graduates(69) 181,870  
			 Of whom:   
			 Employed in UK 110,745 97.2 
			 Employed overseas 3,080 2.7 
			 Other(70) 140 0.1 
			 Total employed 113,965 100.0 
		
	
	(68)Covers graduates in Physical and Biological Sciences. The figures refer to the employment situation of graduates six months after graduation.
	(69)Includes only those graduates who responded to the survey. The response rate for these surveys is just over 80 per cent.; the graduate figures in the table therefore exclude those who did not respond to the survey.
	(70)Covers those students who did not provide details of the location of their employment.
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey (DLHE), conducted by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Secondary Schools (Wellingborough)

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether provision is being made to build a new secondary school in the Wellingborough constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Capital allocations for schools are made on a local authority basis, and local authorities decide priorities on where new building should take place. So, whilst capital funding is provided to the Northamptonshire local authority, currently £53.5 million over the next two years, no specific allocations are made to Wellingborough beyond the devolved formula capital provided directly to schools.
	Northamptonshire's secondary schools are due to be refurbished or rebuilt as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme over the next six to fourteen years.

Secondary Schools (Wellingborough)

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils there have been in each year group in each of the secondary schools in the Wellingborough constituency in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: Information on pupils by National Curriculum Year Group was collected for the first time in 2003. The information provided in the table is pupils by age.
	
		Maintained secondary schools: pupils by age as at previous 31 August. 1997 to 2005(71).Position in January each year—Wellingborough parliamentary constituency
		
			  Pupils aged: 
			  10 11 12 13 14 15 
		
		
			 January 1997   
			 John Lea School 0 0 43 19 49 83 
			 Wollaston School 0 194 190 194 185 175 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 0 181 181 180 177 169 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 0 135 120 144 135 142 
			 Weavers School 0 223 186 198 214 202 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 0 177 165 151 132 160 
			 Wrenn School 0 214 218 213 212 198 
			 January 1998   
			 John Lea School 0 0 0 26 0 41 
			 Wollaston School 0 216 195 187 197 178 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 0 181 177 180 182 178 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 0 162 139 122 144 127 
			 Weavers School 0 238 224 190 203 195 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 0 174 177 162 153 128 
			 Wrenn School 0 225 216 216 217 209 
			 January 1999   
			 Wollaston School 0 231 212 189 193 185 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 0 178 181 175 180 181 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 0 129 161 135 118 140 
			 Weavers School 0 233 233 224 203 193 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 0 173 173 174 161 143 
			 Wrenn School 0 217 221 219 221 212 
			 January 2000   
			 Wollaston School 0 223 227 213 184 188 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 0 181 186 178 180 180 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 0 165 132 166 127 104 
			 Weavers School 0 245 225 238 221 194 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 2 204 170 169 166 155 
			 Wrenn School 0 251 214 223 220 215 
			 January 2001   
			 Wollaston School 1 234 221 225 213 184 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 0 185 181 180 178 177 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 0 157 173 136 161 124 
			 Weavers School 0 191 242 225 240 216 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 1 207 208 166 165 163 
			 Wrenn School 0 250 256 217 219 220 
			 January 2002   
			 Wollaston School 0 239 237 223 220 214 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 0 180 185 183 176 173 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 0 172 162 172 135 158 
			 Weavers School 0 198 189 245 217 238 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 0 207 209 206 165 164 
			 Wrenn School 0 252 242 250 217 217 
			 January 2003   
			 Wollaston School 0 238 237 244 220 219 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 0 175 178 181 180 173 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 0 181 180 169 178 133 
			 Weavers School 0 175 201 182 235 221 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 0 208 205 209 205 164 
			 Wrenn School 0 262 251 243 251 217 
			 January 2004   
			 Wollaston School 0 243 240 232 237 218 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 0 190 179 180 179 178 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 0 212 179 184 169 175 
			 Weavers School 0 254 174 194 185 222 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 0 210 207 207 209 199 
			 Wrenn School 0 255 257 249 240 251 
			 January 2005(71)   
			 Wollaston School 0 240 244 236 231 235 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 0 202 186 179 176 170 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 0 167 212 185 183 168 
			 Weavers School 0 188 253 185 193 177 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 0 203 205 206 207 206 
			 Wrenn School 0 246 258 254 246 239 
		
	
	
		
			  16 17 18 19 Total 
		
		
			 January 1997  
			 John Lea School 6 1 0 0 201 
			 Wollaston School 94 84 4 0 1,120 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 90 55 6 0 1,039 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 50 19 1 0 746 
			 Weavers School 87 56 0 0 1,166 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 49 51 1 0 886 
			 Wrenn School 89 62 4 0 1,210 
			 January 1998  
			 John Lea School 3 0 0 0 70 
			 Wollaston School 80 67 16 0 1,136 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 87 65 4 0 1,054 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 48 31 1 0 774 
			 Weavers School 98 59 1 0 1,208 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 53 45 1 0 893 
			 Wrenn School 103 72 1 0 1,259 
			 January 1999  
			 Wollaston School 73 56 3 1 1,143 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 80 61 6 0 1,042 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 57 27 4 0 771 
			 Weavers School 87 73 2 0 1,248 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 41 40 1 0 906 
			 Wrenn School 95 78 6 0 1,269 
			 January 2000  
			 Wollaston School 87 50 7 0 1,179 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 83 56 6 0 1,050 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 32 32 8 1 767 
			 Weavers School 55 65 0 0 1,243 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 43 36 1 0 946 
			 Wrenn School 86 67 10 0 1,286 
			 January 2001  
			 Wollaston School 79 70 5 0 1,232 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 83 64 2 0 1,050 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 40 15 2 0 808 
			 Weavers School 70 44 4 0 1,232 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 57 36 1 0 1,004 
			 Wrenn School 101 67 3 0 1,333 
			 January 2002  
			 Wollaston School 72 66 5 0 1,276 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 77 59 2 1 1,036 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 52 18 0 0 869 
			 Weavers School 46 41 1 0 1,175 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 53 57 1 0 1,062 
			 Wrenn School 84 79 1 0 1,342 
			 January 2003  
			 Wollaston School 93 63 4 0 1,318 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 86 59 2 1 1,035 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 54 20 0 0 915 
			 Weavers School 47 38 1 0 1,100 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 68 42 4 1 1,106 
			 Wrenn School 111 74 5 0 1,414 
			 January 2004  
			 Wollaston School 89 68 3 0 1,330 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 64 61 4 1 1,036 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 45 25 1 0 990 
			 Weavers School 56 33 0 0 1,118 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 62 62 4 2 1,162 
			 Wrenn School 98 73 4 1 1,428 
			 January 2005(71)  
			 Wollaston School 97 77 5 0 1,365 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 76 37 5 0 1,031 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in Mathematics and Computing 47 25 1 0 988 
			 Weavers School 77 27 3 0 1,103 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 73 56 3 1 1,160 
			 Wrenn School 105 70 2 1 1,421 
		
	
	(71) Provisional.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census.

Secondary Schools (Wellingborough)

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary schools there have been in the Wellingborough constituency in each year since 1997; and how many pupil places there were in each school in each year.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained secondary schools: school capacity: Wellingborough parliamentary constituency
		
			  School capacity(72) 
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 John Lea School 681 687 2— 2— 2— 2— 2— 2— 
			 Wollaston School 926 967 1,106 1,130 1,222 (74)— 1,304 1,382 
			 The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 1,056 1,051 1,032 1,032 1,008 (74)— 1,048 1,051 
			 The Rushden Community College Specialising in  Mathematics and Computing 1,203 1,207 1,179 1,179 1,182 (74)— 1,203 1,174 
			 Weavers School 1,208 1,135 1,161 1,161 1,128 (74)— 1,331 1,429 
			 Sir Christopher Hatton School 850 857 871 871 871 (74)— 1,181 1,194 
			 Wrenn School 1,278 1,307 1,283 1,572 1,318 (74)— 1,531 1,504 
		
	
	(72)From 1997 to 2001 capacity figures were calculated using the more open enrolment formula. From 2003 the capacity figures are calculated using net capacity measure.
	(73)Not applicable. School closed July 1998.
	(74)Not available. The Surplus Places Survey was not carried out in 2002.
	Source:
	Surplus Places Survey

Secondary Schools (Wellingborough)

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in the Wellingborough constituency have been left for any period of time without a secondary school place since 1997; and what the (a) average and (b) maximum length of time is for which such children have been left without a secondary school place.

Beverley Hughes: The Department does not collect this information centrally. Each local authority has a statutory duty to ensure that every child of compulsory school age in their area has access to education. The local authority should take appropriate measures to ensure that there are sufficient school places available.

Secondary Schools (Wellingborough)

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the estimated number of children of secondary school age in the Wellingborough constituency is in each of the next 20 years.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not available, as population projections are not available for parliamentary constituencies, except where they coincide with local authority boundaries. The area covered by Wellingborough local authority is different from the parliamentary constituency.

Sixth Forms/Further Education

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the reasons for the funding gap between school sixth forms and further education colleges in the (a) Carlisle and (b) Penrith and the Border constituencies;
	(2)  when the funding gap between school sixth forms and further education colleges in Carlisle will be closed.

Beverley Hughes: The Department does not have information on what the funding gap is between school sixth forms and further education colleges in the (a) Carlisle and (b) Penrith and the Border constituencies specifically.
	The current funding gap between school sixth forms and further education colleges has arisen due to a number of reasons including the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act and the removal of the incorporated FE sector funding systems from local authority control. This resulted in a divergence from local authority systems and funding differences. These differences were made more apparent when all post 16 funding became the responsibility of the Learning and Skills Council in 2001.
	Government have shown their commitment to Further Education (FE) through the unprecedented investment they are now making. Total funding for FE will increase by over £1 billion in 2005/06 compared to 2002/03—a 25 per cent. cash increase.
	The Government acknowledges that, despite this significant investment in FE and a narrowing of the difference between funding rates, there remains a funding gap between school sixth forms and colleges. We must be clear that continuing progress on narrowing the gap will not be easy and will depend on the resources available. However, as signalled in the Minister of State for Schools and 14–19 Learning's statement to the House of Commons 21 July we intend to explore the scope for addressing the technical anomalies between the school sixth form and further education funding systems. We aim to announce decisions on the way forward in the autumn.

Small Schools

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many small schools have been amalgamated since 2002.

Beverley Hughes: Decisions on school amalgamations in England are taken by locally constituted School Organisation Committees (SOCs). Since 2002 SOCs have approved the amalgamation of 189 small primary schools and 11 small secondary schools. The Department defines a small primary school as a school that has less than 200 pupils and a small secondary schools as one that has less than 600 pupils.
	These figures include amalgamations either by closing two schools and establishing one new school; or closing one school and expanding another to accommodate displaced pupils.

Social Care

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received regarding the provision of day care in East Sussex; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Department's Correspondence Handling System currently only holds electronic records dating back to January 2003, in line with our records and retention schedule which has been agreed with the National Archive. Since then the Department has received and responded to 1,921 official correspondence cases relating to East Sussex. Of these only one appears to relate to the provision of day care. This case specifically concerned the closure of a nursery in Langley in May 2005. Further information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department has consulted nationally on the recent Government 10-year child care strategy Choice for Parents, the best start for children" which was launched in December 2004. This confirmed that legislation will be in place by 2008 to impose a new duty on local authorities to secure sufficient supply of child care in their areas to meet the needs of families.

Southend Council (Grants)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what grants have been made by her Department to Southend Council in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is only available from 1998–99 as before that Southend was part of Essex county council. The following table shows the grants that have been paid directly by the Department.
	
		Breakdown of grant funding to Southend council from 1998–99 to 2004–05  -- (£ millions)
		
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 School Standards 0.45 1.50 3.44 5.85 6.56 7.09 8.30 
			 School Capital 0.44 0.92 2.71 5.11 4.08 6.23 7.15 
			 Teacher Threshold and Performance Pay Grants — — 0.84 1.59 1.88 2.37 2.62 
			 Class Size — 0.24 0.45 0.47 0.41 — — 
			 Budget Support(76) — — 0.16 0.10 — 0.36 1.39 
			 Sure Start Grants (including Nursery Education Grants ) 3, 4 0.86 0.76 1.78 1.41 1.69 1.13 1.49 
			 Education Action Zones — 0.22 0.72 0.85 1.00 0.89 0.57 
			 Children's Fund — — — — — 0.53 0.50 
			 Quality Protects(79) — 0.26 0.41 1.10 1.84 2.09 — 
			 Teenage Pregnancy — — — — 0.05 0.10 0.11 
			 Safeguarding Children — — — — — — 0.32 
			 Choice Protects — — — — — — 0.11 
			 Adoption Protects — — — — — — 0.08 
			 Change Fund(80) — — — — — — 0.04 
			 Total 1.75 3.90 10.51 16.48 17.51 20.79 22.68 
		
	
	(75)Only includes money paid out directly by DfES and therefore excludes school funding and children's social services funding paid through ODPM. Also excludes payments made by NDPBs which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	(76)The Budget Support Grant supports the school budgets of LEAs so they can successfully manage the change introduced by the new school funding system.
	(77)The sums quoted exclude payments for Sure Start Local Programmes where, although the LA acts as the accountable body, the funding is controlled by the Sure Start Local Programme Partnerships. In 2004–05, this amounted to £1.055 million.
	(78)From FY 2003–04 onwards the Nursery Education Grant has been paid through ODPM as part of its general school funding and so is excluded from Sure Start Grants.
	(79)The Quality Protects grant ended in 2003–04. Most funding moved into children's social service funding paid through ODPM in 2004–05.
	(80)The Change Fund was set-up to create Children's Trusts and help develop the Every Child Matters agenda.

Special Advisers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list (a) the special advisers in her Department, (b) their specific areas of expertise and (c) the total cost of employing them in the latest year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 36W.

Special Needs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on special needs provision in North Yorkshire.

Maria Eagle: Arranging provision for children with special educational needs (SEN) is a matter for schools and local education authorities (LEAS), within the framework set out in the Education Act 1996 and taking account of statutory guidance, such as the SEN Code of Practice. More broadly, LEAs have statutory duties to provide sufficient schools and to keep their arrangements for SEN under review.
	Under the Learning and Skills Act 2000 the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) must have regard to the needs of people with learning difficulties and or disabilities. The LSC is aware of the need to secure sufficient quantity, and appropriate quality, of provision for this group of learners and has commissioned an independent review of the planning and funding of provision. The review is due to report in September, following which there will be a wide consultation on the implementation of its recommendations.

Special Needs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her Department's policy is on funding for children with special needs in cases where children placed in higher bands for funding purposes attend moderate learning difficulty schools.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The majority of funding for schools—mainstream and special—is provided by central Government through local authority (LA) formula spending shares, with LAs providing the rest through the council tax.
	Funding is distributed to schools on the basis of funding formulae devised by LAs, which calculate the budget share for each of their schools. It is for each LA to devise and revise its own school funding formula, taking account of local needs and circumstances. For special schools, including schools for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, most funding is place-led, with the number of places agreed with the LA. The cost of planned places will depend on the complexity of the learning needs the schools have to address. LAs should review the number of planned places and their funding levels each year, in partnership with their special schools.

Summer School Scheme

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding will be allocated to the proposed summer school scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Schools and local authorities (LAs) already have access via the School Development Grant to funding for study support activities, which may include summer schools. In addition, we have recently announced our plans for all schools to offer extended services from 8 am to 6 pm all year round. Start-up funding of £680 million will be made available, in addition to the £160 million already committed.

School Exclusions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were (a) suspended for a time and (b) permanently expelled from a school in Essex in each of the past five years, broken down by local authority.

Beverley Hughes: Data on fixed period exclusions (suspensions) were collected for the first time in summer 2003 and so are not available prior to 2003–04.
	The information requested on permanent exclusions and on fixed period exclusions for 2003–04 is shown in the table:
	
		Maintained primary secondary and special schools(81). Number of permanent and fixed period exclusions 1997–98 to 2003–4
		
			  Essex Southend Thurrock 
			  Number of permanent exclusions(82) Number of Pupils with one or more episodes of fixed period exclusion(83) Number of permanent exclusions(82) Number of Pupils with one or more episodes of fixed period exclusion(83) Number of permanent exclusions(82) Number of Pupils with one or more episodes of fixed period exclusion(83) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 180 — 30 — 40 — 
			 2000–01 200 — 30 — 50 — 
			 2001–02 210 — 30 — 40 — 
			 2002–03 170 — 30 — 30 — 
			 2003–04 180 5,910 30 630 10 820 
		
	
	(81)Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(82)Source: Annual Schools Census.
	(83)Source: Termly Exclusions Survey.
	Note:
	Data have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Taxis

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2005, Official Report, column 446W, on taxis, what estimate she has made of the cost of answering the question.

Bill Rammell: There is no central record of taxis usage and an assessment of the staff time and associated costs required to provide an answer was estimated to be significantly in excess of the disproportionate cost threshold of £600.

Teachers

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what financial provision has been made to allow schools to provide temporary cover when teachers take advantage of planning, preparation and assessment time from September.

Beverley Hughes: Last year we worked with a sample of LEAs and schools to assess the costs of implementing PPA time. It was as a result of that work that the minimum funding guarantee for the current year was set at 5 per cent. for primary and nursery schools and 4 per cent. for secondary and special schools. The funding settlement was welcomed by members of the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group—the signatories to the national agreement on work force reform. It is the view of all members of the group that there is enough money in the system for all schools to implement this reform in full.
	As part of the funding arrangements from 2006–07, all schools will continue to be guaranteed a minimum increase in their per pupil funding. In autumn 2005 the Government expect to set the guarantee for 2006–07 and 2007–08 at a level covering anticipated average cost pressures on schools in each year, including the full year costs of implementing work force reform, subject to a final assessment of those pressures.

Television

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will issue guidance on how many hours per day children between the ages of five to 15 should watch television.

Beverley Hughes: The Government currently have no plans to issue guidance on the amount of time per day that children aged five to 15 should watch television. We are aware of some studies which have found links between excessive television watching and obesity, disruptive behaviour, and poor educational performance in children. Parents are best placed to regulate their children's television viewing and to ensure that they lead a balanced, healthy lifestyle. To achieve that objective, the Government are working to increase the information available to parents. Through, for example, Extended Schools; our Youth Green Paper proposals; the Healthy Schools Standard; school sports and PE within the curriculum; and volunteering and mentoring in schools linked to PSHE within the curriculum, we are also working to increase the opportunities available for children and young people to participate in a range of constructive activities as an alternative to watching television.

Undergraduate Students

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) science, (b) mathematics and (c) modern foreign languages undergraduate students there were in each year between 1994 and 2004; and what proportion of these students were from (i) the UK, (ii) the EU and (iii) other overseas nations in each year.

Bill Rammell: The latest information is given in the table:
	
		Undergraduate students(84)at English HE Institutions 1994/95–2003/04
		
			Of which: percentage from 
			  Subject studied(85) Total students UK EU Other overseas Total 
		
		
			 1994/95 Science 85,745 95 3 2 100 
			  Mathematics 58,855 94 2 4 100 
			  Modern Foreign Languages 23,030 91 7 1 100 
			
			 1995/96 Science 89,650 94 4 2 100 
			  Mathematics 61,760 93 3 4 100 
			  Modern Foreign Languages 27,245 89 9 3 100 
			
			 1996/97 Science 95,075 94 4 2 100 
			  Mathematics 65,370 93 3 4 100 
			  Modern Foreign Languages 26,470 87 10 3 100 
			
			 1997/98 Science 98,380 93 5 2 100 
			  Mathematics 68,895 92 4 5 100 
			  Modern Foreign Languages 25,190 85 11 3 100 
			
			 1998/99 Science 98,725 93 5 2 100 
			  Mathematics 73,365 92 3 4 100 
			  Modem Foreign Languages 22,801 84 12 4 100 
			
			 1999/00 Science 98,045 93 4 2 100 
			  Mathematics 77,115 92 3 4 100 
			  Modern Foreign Languages 21,595 82 13 5 100 
			
			 2000/01 Science 96,695 93 4 2 100 
			  Mathematics 85,840 92 3 5 100 
			  Modern Foreign Languages 21,330 80 14 7 100 
			
			 2001/02 Science 94,640 94 4 3 100 
			  Mathematics 91,870 91 3 6 100 
			  Modern Foreign Languages 22,160 80 13 7 100 
			
			 2002/03 Science 118,105 94 3 3 100 
			  Mathematics 105,690 90 3 8 100 
			  Modern Foreign Languages 41,158 83 10 7 100 
			
			 2003/04 Science 141,820 95 2 3 100 
			  Mathematics 118,965 90 2 8 100 
			  Modern Foreign Languages 43,295 86 9 6 100 
		
	
	(84)Based on a count of students as at December 1st in each academic year.
	(85)In 2002/03, changes were made to the method used to allocate students to subjects of study, which means that figures for 2002/03 and 2003/04 are not comparable with those for earlier years. Science includes Biological and Physical Sciences.
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5, so components may not sum to totals.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Universities

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of young people in England (a) currently attend and (b) are applying for a place at university; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Department uses the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) to assess progress on increasing first-time participation of English students aged 18–30 in higher education towards 50 per cent.: the latest provisional figure for 2003/04 is 43 per cent.
	The latest figures published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) on applicants for 2005/06 entry, shows that applicants from England to full-time undergraduate courses have increased by 9 per cent. to 344,000. But for a number of reasons, it is not possible to say exactly what effect this will have on the HEIPR: the HEIPR only covers students entering HE by age 30, and excludes those with prior HE experience; part-time students contribute to HEIPR, but these are excluded from the UCAS figures; and it is final acceptances, not applicants, which are important.

Universities

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Scottish students have enrolled at English and Welsh universities in each of the past three years.

Bill Rammell: Data on the number of Scottish students enrolled in English and Welsh HE institutions are given in the following table.
	
		Scottish domiciled students enrolled on undergraduate courses HE institutions in England and Wales 2001/02 to 2003/04
		
			  Full-time Part-time 
			  First Degree Other undergraduate First Degree Other undergraduate Total(3) 
		
		
			 2001/02 5,800 305 380 1,885 8,365 
			 2002/03 5,835 295 410 1,785 8,325 
			 2003/04 5,730 310 400 1,850 8,285 
		
	
	Note:
	Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5, so components may not sum to totals.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Universities

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of young people in England (a) participated in university education in the academic year 2004/05 and (b) are expected to participate in university education in the academic year 2005/06; whether the Government expects to meet its 2010 target for university participation for 50 per cent. of the young people in England; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The provisional participation rate among 18 to 30-year-olds for 2003/04 (the latest year for which data is available) is 43 per cent. The Department's expenditure plans allow for continuing increase in HEIPR in the period to 2007–08, but we do not publish forecasts for individual years.
	The target we have published is to make progress towards a participation rate of 50 per cent. among 18 to 30-year-olds by 2010. We expect to continue to make progress towards this target. It has strategic importance for the UK economy because independent forecasts show that the majority of jobs created over the next decade and beyond will be in sectors with high graduate employment rates.

Universities

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of school-leavers in (a) England, (b) Teesside and (c) the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency went to university in the last period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The latest available figures on participation by constituency were published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in January in Young Participation in England", which is available from their website at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_03/. Participation rates for constituencies based on this work, showing figures for the years up to 2000, are given on the supporting POLAR website (www.hefce.ac.uk/polar).
	The Department uses the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) to assess progress on increasing first-time participation of English students aged 18–30 in higher education towards 50 per cent.: the latest provisional figure for 2003/04 is 43 per cent. The HEIPR is not calculated at constituency level.

Wales White Paper

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how she intends to implement Paragraph 3.12 of the White Paper, Better Government for Wales" (Cm 6582), in respect of any bill she introduces in the current session of Parliament.

Jacqui Smith: I intend to implement the Government's policy as stated in paragraph 3.12 of the White Paper Better Governance for Wales" Cm 6582. My Department is in discussion with the Assembly Government on the issues concerned.

Youth Green Paper

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many copies of the Green Paper Youth Matters have been, or will be, distributed to (a) schools, (b) youth groups and (c) youth work organisations.

Beverley Hughes: The Department distributed c.4,700 copies of the Youth Green Paper to stakeholders including youth groups, youth organisations and local authorities. The document is also available to order from The Stationery Office and free to download from www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/youth.
	In line with departmental policy on reducing the volume of material sent to schools, we informed schools about Youth Matters through an e-mail alert; coverage on Teachernet and Governornet; an article in Teachers Magazine; and a letter to all independent schools.
	We have also produced a young people's questionnaire. This is being distributed to young people through youth organisations such as the National Youth Agency, UK Youth Parliament and the DfES Children and Youth Board. Schools have also been made aware of this publication and have been encouraged to involve their pupils in the consultation.
	The young people's questionnaire is also available in Braille, audio, Easy-read and British sign Language versions, which will be distributed to young people through organisations such as MENCAP.

TREASURY

Alcohol/Drugs-related Deaths (Easington)

John Cummings: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths where alcohol was the primary cause there were in the last five years in Easington constituency.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Cummings, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths where alcohol was the primary cause there were in the last five years in Easington constituency. (14469)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2004. The attached table shows the numbers of deaths among residents of Easington Parliamentary Constituency where the underlying cause of death indicated a condition directly related to alcohol use in the years 2000 to 2004.
	
		Alcohol-related deaths(86) to usual residents of Easington Parliamentary Constituency, registered 2000 to 2004.
		
			  Number of deaths 
		
		
			 2000 11 
			 2001 6 
			 2002 12 
			 2003 20 
			 2004 17 
		
	
	(86)For the year 2000 the cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). The codes used by ONS to define alcohol-related deaths are listed below:
	291—Alcoholic psychoses
	303—Alcohol dependence syndrome
	305.0—Non-dependent abuse of alcohol
	425.5—Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	571—Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
	E860—Accidental poisoning by alcohol.
	For the years 2001–04 the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) was used. To maintain comparability with earlier years the following codes were used:
	F10—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
	142.6—Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	K70—Alcoholic liver disease
	K73—Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
	K74—Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
	X45—Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol.
	Deaths were selected using the original underlying cause.
	The selection of codes to define alcohol-related deaths is described in:
	Baker A and Rooney C (2003). Recent trends in alcohol-related mortality, and the impact of ICD-10 on the monitoring of these deaths in England and Wales. Health Statistics Quarterly 17, pp5–14.

Alcohol/Drugs-related Deaths (Easington)

John Cummings: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths where misuse of drugs was the primary cause there were in the Easington constituency in the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Cummings, dated 26 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths where misuse of drugs was the primary cause of death there were in Easington constituency in each of the last five years. (14472)
	The most recently available information is for deaths in 2003. There were fewer than five deaths related to drug misuse in total to residents of Easington constituency in the years 1999–2003. In order to maintain confidentiality, numbers cannot therefore be provided.

Business Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2005, Official Report, column 33W, on business rates, for what reasons the estimated revenue of £15.3 billion in 2004–05 and £16.5 billion in 2005–06 differs from the net yield estimates given in Official Report, column 172W, 15 March 2005.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The figures for estimated revenue quoted in the answer of 23 May 2005 were the national totals of net rate yields from local lists, as reported by billing authorities on NNDR1 returns to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in advance of each financial year, whereas those given in the answer on 15 March were initial estimates, produced before NNDR1 returns for 2005–06 had been received.

Business Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change to business tax receipts in 2005–06 arising from the business rates revaluation in England.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	According to information reported to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister by billing authorities on NNDR1 returns, the net rate yield from local lists after reliefs was forecast to increase by 7.7 per cent., from £15,319 million for 2004–05 to £16,505 million for 2005–06.

Call Centres/Manufacturing

John Cummings: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed in (a) call centres and (b) manufacturing in Easington constituency in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Cummings, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment in Easington. (14470)
	The number of people employed in manufacturing in the Easington constituency for the 12-month period ending February 2004 is estimated to be 8,000. Estimates of the number of people employed in call centres are not available for the Easington constituency.
	This estimate is based on annual local area Labour Force Survey data which, as with any sample survey, is subject to sampling variability.

Cancer Survival Rates

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the survival rates for each of the common forms of cancer have been in each year since 1980, broken down by (a) social class and (b) English region.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the survival rates for each of the common forms of cancer have been in each year since 1980, broken down by (a) social class and (b) English region.
	Cancer survival rates are not available by individual year of diagnosis.
	Survival rates by socio-economic deprivation, trends in the rates, and NHS region for 58 cancers including 11 cancers in children diagnosed during 1971–90 in England and Wales were published in 1999: Coleman MP et al. in Cancer Survival Trends in England and Wales, 1971–1995: deprivation and NHS Region. Studies in Medical and Population Subjects No.61. London: The Stationery Office, 1999.
	The availability of cancer survival information by socio-economic deprivation and English region for the years since 1990 was given in Hansard 905W, 2 February 2005.
	Subsequent to the previous answer, figures have been published on patients diagnosed during 1995–97 and followed up to 31 December 2002, by government office regions (and strategic health authorities) in England. These can be found at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8974.xls

Carers

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what budget was allocated for carers and the carer's allowance in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK for 2004–05; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government do not allocate a fixed budget for carer's allowance. Expenditure on carer's allowance is driven by the number of eligible claimants. Expenditure on carer's allowance in Scotland in 2004–05 was £106.7 million. Expenditure for the United Kingdom in the same period was £1,186.5 million. Depending on their individual circumstances, carers may also be entitled to other social security benefits or tax credits.
	In England the carers grant was introduced in 1999 and since then has provided an extra £450 million over the past five years, to increase the number of breaks for carers. In 2004–05 the grant was £125 million. The grant is worth £185 million in 2005–06 and will continue at this level until 2007–08 at least. This is an area of devolved policy and therefore the budget for carers in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Census

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many young people will reach the age of 18 years in each of the 10 years commencing 2000.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 27 July 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning how many persons will reach the age of 18 in each of the 10 years commencing 2000. (14260)
	Below is a table showing those aged 18 on the 30 June for mid-2000 to mid-2010, for England and Wales. Population estimates are provided for mid-2000 to mid-2003. As mid-2003 population estimates are the latest available, mid-2003 based population projections are shown for mid-2004 to mid-2010. (Population estimates for mid-2004 will be published on 25 August 2005.)
	These data represent all persons who reached (will reach) the age of eighteen within the year (mid-year to mid-year) and who are usually resident in England and Wales at 30 June. They exclude any persons who died or left England and Wales after reaching the age of 18 and before 30 June, and include those resident in England and Wales at 30 June who reached the age of 18 elsewhere.
	
		Population aged 18 on 30 June in England Wales
		
			  Thousand 
		
		
			 Population estimates  
			 2000 621.9 
			 2001 629.7 
			 2002 651.8 
			 2003 682.5 
			 Projected estimates  
			 2004 680.0 
			 2005 690.6 
			 2006 705.8 
			 2007 696.7 
			 2008 705.0 
			 2009 717.6 
			 2010 707.1 
		
	
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics, Government Actuary's Department

Census

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many men aged (a) between 60 and 65, (b) 66 and 70 and (c) over 70 years of age are estimated to be employed in England and Wales.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about men who are not in employment in England and Wales. (14264)
	The attached table gives, for the available age groups closest to those specified, the numbers of men who were not in employment and resident in England and Wales. The data are for the three-month period ending May 2005.
	These estimates from Labour Force Survey (LFS) are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		The number of men aged 60 and over who are not in employment(87) in England and Wales—not seasonally adjusted -- Thousand
		
			  Not in employment(87) 
			 Three months ending May 2005 England and Wales England Wales 
		
		
			 60 to 64 611 564 46 
			 65 to 69 931 872 59 
			 70 and over 2,318 2,177 141 
		
	
	(87)Those who stated they were unemployed or inactive.
	Note:
	Sum of components may not equal due to founding.
	Source:
	ONS—Labour Force Survey

Child Trust Fund

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Midlothian have received the child trust fund.

Denis Murphy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in the Wansbeck constituency are eligible to receive the child trust fund; and how many applications have been made from the Wansbeck constituency.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington, East (Mr. Kemp) on 20 July 2005, Official Report, columns 1826–27W.

Civil Servants

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in bonus payments related to performance to Senior Civil Servants in the Inland Revenue in each of the last four years.

Dawn Primarolo: Bonuses awarded to members of the Senior Civil Service in the Inland Revenue over the last four years are as follows:
	
		
			  Total bonuses paid (£) Number of SCS staff receiving bonuses Total number of SCS staff 
		
		
			 2005 1,147,900 228 299 
			 2004 981,961 156 297 
			 2003 860,207 169 278

Climate Change Levy

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the climate change levy on (a) new tyre manufacturers and (b) manufacturers of retreaded tyres;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the climate change levy on companies increasing expenditure to increase energy efficiency putting themselves below the 3 per cent. energy usage against manufacturing costs criteria required for the 80 per cent. climate change levy reduction;
	(3)  how many manufacturers of tyres have received a discount from the climate change levy; and how many have done so in each year since its introduction;
	(4)  how many (a) applicants in total and (b) tyre manufacturers have been unsuccessful in applying for a reduction in the climate change levy in each year since its introduction.

John Healey: Climate change levy is assessed on UK industry as a whole and it is not feasible to make an assessment of its impact on every business sector or individual company. The CCL was introduced with offsetting tax cuts for business which included a 0.3 percentage point reduction in employers' national insurance contributions introduced at the same time as the levy in April 2001, support for energy efficiency through enhanced capital allowances and the setting up of the Carbon Trust.
	The Government published an independent evaluation by Cambridge Econometrics of the climate change levy at Budget 2005 (available from the House of Commons Library or the HMRC website.www.hmrc.gov.uk). This showed that climate change levy is expected to deliver significant annual carbon dioxide savings of over 3.5 million tonnes of carbon in 2010.
	No specific assessment has been made of the effects of the levy on individual companies' investment decisions or energy intensity levels.
	Businesses in sectors that sign climate change agreements committing them to meet energy efficiency targets receive an 80 per cent. reduction in the levy. Eligibility is currently dependent on a sector being covered by the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations, although in Budget 2004 the Government announced plans to extend eligibility, subject to state aid approval to their proposals. Under the existing arrangements, climate change agreements were drawn up with relevant trade bodies before the levy was introduced in 2001. Six manufacturers have signed the New Rubber Tyre Manufacturing Sector's umbrella agreement and therefore receive the 80 per cent. discount. However, there has been no other formal application process under the current eligibility criteria, and therefore no details of successful or unsuccessful applicants in any sectors.

Conferences

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2005, Official Report, column 687W, on conferences, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing the information requested.

John Healey: The hon. Gentleman had asked how much the Department has spent on organising or sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years. The Treasury's accounting system did not, until 1 April 2005, treat conferences organised or sponsored by the Department as a separate category of expenditure. To provide the information requested, it would therefore have been necessary to review the transactions in each of the accounts to which conference costs might have been posted (for example the account for rent, for hire of conference premises; the accounts for travel and subsistence; the account for catering) and determine (by reference to invoices if necessary) which of those transactions were for hosted or sponsored conferences. There are many thousands of transactions each year and collating the information for any one financial year would have exceeded the £600 threshold for disproportionate cost.
	Since 1 April 2005, the Treasury has an account specifically for the direct non-staff costs of conferences organised or sponsored by the Department, so it will be possible to provide that information for future years.

Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within his Department.

John Healey: In respect of 2002–03 and 2003–04, I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer the former Financial Secretary (Stephen Timms) gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 22 February 2005, Official Report, columns 472–73. The corresponding figures for 2004–05 are £4.91 million (Revenue), £0.75 million (Capital) and £5.66 million (Total).
	The advice of the consultants has contributed towards the planning and implementing of the department's efficiency plans. Information on progress against those plans and savings to date is set out in Annex C of the Treasury's 2005 Departmental Report, available on our website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about/departmental_reports/dept_report2005.cfm

Correspondence

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what management information he collects on the amount by which tax credit awards change in-year to reflect a change of entitlement arising from (a) an increase in income above the disregard, (b) a change in circumstances and (c) official error.

Dawn Primarolo: Tax credit awards can be adjusted during the year to take account of a change in circumstances or income. Where the amount payable is reduced, payments are adjusted with the aim of paying out the right amount for the year as a whole. This is explained in HMRC's Code of Practice 26 What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?", which is accessible at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.htm. This is part of the normal operation of the tax credit system and we therefore do not keep records of the requested information.

Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claimants have contacted Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs telephone call centres in each month since the inception of the tax credits scheme.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the monthly total of separate telephone numbers from which calls were made to HMRC contact centres in Great Britain since August 2002.
	
		Callers to the tax credits helpline in Great Britain
		
			 Month/Year Number of callers (Thousand) 
		
		
			 2002  
			 August 29 
			 September 172 
			 October 301 
			 November 359 
			 December 245 
			   
			 2003  
			 January 700 
			 February 963 
			 March 2,374 
			 April 3,765 
			 May 2,827 
			 June 2,477 
			 July 1,515 
			 August 891 
			 September 1,111 
			 October 969 
			 November 1,031 
			 December 798 
			   
			 2004  
			 January 1,011 
			 February 956 
			 March 1,238 
			 April 1,606 
			 May 1,807 
			 June 2,033 
			 July 1,909 
			 August 1,688 
			 September 2,455 
			 October 1,649 
			 November 1,346 
			 December 958 
			   
			 2005  
			 January 1,556 
			 February 1,381 
			 March 1,397 
			 April 1,952 
			 May 1,866 
			 June 1,967

Correspondence

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs will make a substantive reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Thurrock dated 16 June in connection with the case of Mr. and Mrs. K R Collins of Aveley, Essex.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs will reply to the hon. Member very shortly.

Correspondence

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why acknowledgement letters to hon. Members from the Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs do not contain any reference number or other indication as to how letters can be subsequently traced; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The current process of dealing with letters from hon. Members to the Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs means an acknowledgement is sent first, as a priority, before being recorded on the database that subsequently gives it a reference number. This ensures Members are informed at the earliest opportunity that their correspondence has been safely received and is being dealt with. Once the information has been recorded on the database, the case is easily traceable, not only by the reference, but by the constituents name, postcode or by the Member's name.
	HM Revenue and Customs are committed to continually reviewing our processes, and actively looking for ways to improve them. We welcome feedback on how we can improve our services to hon. Members and to all our customers. We recognise that quoting a case reference will assist hon. Members, and therefore this will be done on all future acknowledgements from the Chairman's office.

Departmental Expenditure

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Dundee East constituency, (ii) Tayside and (iii) the City of Dundee was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in the (i) Moray constituency and (ii) Highland Region was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Banff and Buchan and (ii) the North East of Scotland was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in Perth and North Perthshire was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

John Healey: The Treasury has no offices in Scotland. While some of the goods and services the Treasury purchases will have been produced in Scotland, and some may have been produced in the specific areas referred to in the questions, the information on where goods and services were produced is not recorded centrally. Figures could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Developing Countries

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures his Department is taking to enable developing countries to examine the Bretton Woods institutions' programmes before they are implemented.

Ivan Lewis: IMF and World Bank support to developing countries, including that released under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative, is based on Poverty Reduction Strategy papers. These are prepared by developing countries in consultation with civil society and aim to ensure countries are in control of their own development plans. The UK encourages participation by poor people and by parliaments as part of this. In addition, the UK supports countries directly in their engagement with the Bretton Woods institutions though establishing a multi-donor trust fund to support independent analysis for use by African representatives at the IMF and World Bank.
	The UK has consistently emphasised the need for the programmes of the Bretton Woods institutions to reflect the priorities contained within countries nationally owned Poverty Reduction Strategies. This approach is embodied in the UK Government's own approach to conditionality, as outlined in the Government paper Partnerships for Poverty Reduction: rethinking conditionality". We will continue to work within the IMF Executive Board and use the annual meetings of both the IMF and the World Bank to promote this approach in a number of ways, including by:
	encouraging the IMF and the World Bank to take full account of the poverty implications of its operations, specifically by enhancing the capacity to conduct Poverty and Social Impact Assessments (PSIA) in its work;
	seeking to ensure the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility is consistent with the aims set out in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers; and
	monitoring the ongoing review, launched in February 2005, by the IMF and the World Bank, of the Poverty Reduction Strategy process.

Economic Cycle

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the change he announced to the Treasury Select Committee on 19 July on the start date for the economic cycle will require revision and alteration of documents and economic assessments previously published by his Department.

John Healey: The Government will next update their assessment of economic and fiscal developments and prospects in the autumn pre-Budget report, as usual, based on all relevant developments.

Economic Cycle

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he consulted the financial and business communities before announcing the revision to the start date for the economic cycle to the Treasury Select Committee on 19 July; and when the decision was made to change the start date for the economic cycle.

John Healey: As the Chancellor stated at the Treasury Select Committee on 19 July 2001
	Following the significant updating by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) on 30 June to GDP, it is right to update what has been a provisional judgement that the current economic cycle started in 1999–2000".
	Analysis of evidence relevant to the dating of the cycle is set out in the paper Evidence on the UK economic cycle" published by the Treasury on 19 July.

Employment (Lanark and Hamilton, East)

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what percentage of people in the Lanark and Hamilton, East constituency are classified as (a) professionals and (b) skilled workers; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what percentage of people in the Lanark and Hamilton, East constituency are employed in (a)service industries and (b) manufacturing industries; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Hood, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about employment in Lanark and Hamilton East Parliamentary constituency. (14063, 14064)
	The attached table contains the information requested for all those in employment in the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency for the year to February 2004. This estimate is based on annual local area Labour Force Survey data which, as with any sample survey, is subject to sampling variability.
	
		People employed in selected occupations in Lanark and Hamilton, East parliamentary constituency, year to February 2004
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Professional occupations 12 
			 Skilled workers 12 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey.
	
		People employed in selected industries in Lanark and Hamilton, East parliamentary constituency, year to February 2004
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Service industries 73 
			 Manufacturing 14 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey.

Employment (Lanark and Hamilton, East)

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the unemployment rate was in the Lanark and Hamilton, East constituency for each year from 2001 to 2005; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Hood, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. (14067)
	Due to the boundary changes introduced for the 2005 General Election there is a limited range of data available for Lanark and Hamilton East, and the other new UK Parliament Constituencies in Scotland.
	The unemployment rate for the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency for the twelve months ending February 2004 was 6.2 per cent. Data for earlier periods are not available. This estimate is based on annual local area Labour Force Survey data which, as with any sample survey, is subject to sampling variability.
	ONS also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for local areas. The new Scottish constituencies are built up from 2003 Census Area Statistics wards but claimant count data are available for this geography only from February 2004. The average number of Job Seeker's Allowance claimants as a proportion of the resident working age population for the eleven months ending December 2004 was 2.5 per cent. For the six months ending June 2005 the figure was 2.4 per cent.
	The data are published on the Office for National Statistics Nomis(r) website at: www.nomisweb.co.uk
	The unemployment rate is also published in Table 13(1) of the Labour Market Statistics First Release for Scotland.

Euro

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to publish an assessment of the five economic tests for UK membership of the euro.

Ivan Lewis: The Chancellor's statement to the House of Commons on 9 June 2003 set out a reform programme of concrete and practical steps to address policy requirements identified by the June assessment of the five economic tests. Budget 2005 noted that the Government did not propose a euro assessment be initiated at the time of the Budget and that the Treasury will again review the situation at Budget time next year as required by the Chancellor's June 2003 statement.

Euro

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants are employed in assessing performance against the five economic tests for UK membership of the euro.

Ivan Lewis: Budget 2005 noted that the Government did not propose a euro assessment be initiated at this time. The Chancellor's statement to the House on 9 June 2003 on UK membership of the single currency set out a reform agenda of concrete and practical steps to address the policy requirements identified by the assessment of the five economic tests. A range of officials from across the Treasury contribute to this work.

European Parliament (Regulatory Costs)

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the regulatory costs that may be incurred as a consequence of the implementation of the European Commission's proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations (COM 2003 427 final (22.7.2003)).

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs has carried out a preliminary assessment of the regulatory costs of the draft regulation (referred to as Rome II'). This assessment indicates that the Regulation is unlikely to create significant regulatory costs but much will depend on its final form.

Family Tax Credit

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people had overpayments of family tax credits due to incorrect health or disability categorisation in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the total cost of overpaid family tax credits, due to incorrect categorisation on grounds of health or disability was in the last year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available.

Hiatt Handcuffs

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 889W, on Hiatt handcuffs, whether the results of the customs investigation into large Hiatt handcuffs will be made public.

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 889W, on Hiatt handcuffs, if he will place a copy of the results of the HM Revenue and Customs investigation into large Hiatt handcuffs in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs submitted their report to the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office, which is wholly independent and reports to the Attorney General. HMRC will not be publishing their report of the investigations as to do so would breach their duty of confidentiality.

Hospices

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will exempt hospices from VAT on building work and major repairs.

Ivan Lewis: The construction of a new hospice is already VAT zero-rated. The repair and maintenance of existing buildings is standard-rated. While agreements with our European partners allow us to keep our zero rates as they currently stand, we cannot extend them or introduce new ones.

Identity Cards

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the public bodies that responded to the Citizen Information project in relation to the wider use of the identity card database; if he will (a) publish the responses and (b) place a copy of each response in the Library; and if he will make a statement on the progress of the Citizen Information project.

Des Browne: The Citizen Information Project has now reported to me, as envisaged in my statement to the House on 28 October 2004, Official Report, column 53WS. The Government will now consider the CIP recommendations and I shall make a statement to the House after the summer. At that time the CIP report will be published by the Office for National Statistics, including a list of public bodies consulted.

Income Tax

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of people in (a) England and Wales, (b) Essex, (c) the Metropolitan police area of London and (d) Southend paid income tax at the (i) starting rate of 10 per cent., (ii) basic rate of 22 per cent. and (iii) higher rate of 40 per cent. in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information for taxpayers in England and Wales is in the following table. The starting rate of 10 per cent. was introduced in 1999–2000.
	Similar information by tax bands on regional or sub-regional income tax revenue statistics is not available pending a review of national statistics on income tax and personal incomes. Further details of the review can be found on the HMRC website at the following page: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/NS_Review. htm.
	
		England and Wales, taxpayers only
		
			  Starting rate Savers' and basic rate(88) Higher rate 
		
		
			 1999–2000
			 Number of taxpayers (thousand) 2,300 22,400 2,500 
			 Percentage 8 79 9 
			  
			 2000–01
			 Number of taxpayers (thousand) 2,800 23,600 2,900 
			 Percentage 10 77 10 
			 2001–02
			 Number of taxpayers (thousand) 3,000 22,600 3,000 
			 Percentage 11 76 11 
			  
			 2002–03
			 Number of taxpayers (thousand) 3,100 22,700 3,000 
			 Percentage 11 76 11 
		
	
	(88)Includes taxpayers with a marginal rate of 20 per cent. on savings, 22 per cent. on earnings and 10 per cent. on dividends.
	The number of people liable for tax in Essex county and the London region can be found in table 3.14 'Total income by borough and district or unitary authority' on the HM Revenue and Customs' website www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu.htm.
	The income tax information is based upon the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) and 2002–03 is the latest survey year. The survey is based on information held by the HM Revenue and Customs tax offices on persons who are liable to UK tax.

Income Tax

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of pensioners do not pay income tax at the basic rate, broken down by nation and region of the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of taxpaying pensioners estimated not to pay income tax at the basic rate in 2005–06 is in the following table.
	
		Taxpaying pensioners, 2005–06
		
			  England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland 
		
		
			 Taxpaying pensioners not paying at the basic rate(89) (thousands) 1,600 99 162 36 
			 As percentage of the taxpaying pensioner population 37 36 37 35 
			 Total number of taxpaying pensioners (thousands) 4,330 279 437 105 
		
	
	(89)This covers all pensioners paying income tax at the starting, savers' and higher rate only.
	The number of pensioners estimated not to pay income tax at the basic rate can be estimated by subtracting the number of pensioners paying tax at the basic rate from the total pensioner population. Population estimates are prepared by the Government Actuary's Department and can be found at http://www.gad.qov.uk/Population/2003/uk/wuk03singyear.xls
	Similar information at regional or sub-regional level is not available pending a review of National Statistics on income tax and personal incomes. Further details of the review can be found on the HMRC website at the following page: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_ tax/NS_Review.htm
	The income tax information is based upon the 2002–03 Survey of Personal projected forward to 2005–06 in line with Budget 2005 assumptions. The survey is based on information held by the HM Revenue and Customs tax offices on persons who are liable to UK tax.

Income Tax

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the costs of administering (a) the introduction of a lower or higher basic rate income tax level for Scotland and (b) the annual costs of such a change.

Dawn Primarolo: The White Paper of 24 July 1997 Scotland's Parliament" estimated that costs of introducing a Scottish variable rate would be in the order of £10 million with annual costs of £8 million. As both administrations of the Scottish Parliament have indicated that they will not take advantage of the Scottish variable rate, the cost estimates have not been uprated. Doing so before a decision was made to introduce a Scottish variable rate would not produce a meaningful estimate of any change bearing in mind continuing modernisation of HMRC's IT development processes.

Job Vacancies

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many job vacancies there were in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Amess, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about job vacancies in the United Kingdom. (14266)
	The attached table shows the average number of vacancies in the United Kingdom for the three months ending in June in each of the last five years. The data are seasonally adjusted and are published monthly in the Office for National Statistics Labour Market Statistics First Release, and on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=13310&More=n.
	
		Numbers of vacancies: United Kingdom Seasonally adjusted -- Thousands
		
			 3 months ending June Total 
		
		
			 2001 667.8 
			 2002 607.0 
			 2003 574.1 
			 2004 632.6 
			 2005(90) 639.9 
		
	
	(90)Provisional
	Source:
	ONS Vacancy Survey

Les Goodland Ltd.

Anthony Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to complete his inquiries as to when the Enforcement Notice was issued by the Inland Revenue against Les Goodland Ltd. of Paignton and sent to his accountant, Mr. C. Howe, of Totnes Road, Paignton.

Dawn Primarolo: I can not comment on progress in respect of a particular inquiry or in relation to a named business or individual, where details are not already in the public domain, as to do so would breach their right to confidentiality. If the hon. Gentleman would like to write to me about this specific case and make clear who he is representing I will look into the matter.

Lorry Road User Charge

Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much work has been undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) private organisations to develop equipment for the administration of the Lorry Road User Charge; and how many contracts have been issued, broken down by (i) value and (ii) purpose.

John Healey: In respect of work undertaken on the Lorry Road-User Charge (LRUC) by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to him and the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1689W.
	The LRUC programme has also sought the advice of a range of professional consultants since it was established in 2002. In line with good practice guidance for significant Government procurements of this type, preparations for and the conduct of the procurement phase, which began in May 2004, included the advice of technical, commercial and legal specialists. The provisional total for this expenditure since the LRUC programme was established in May 2002 up to 31 March 2005, the end of the last complete year for which figures are available, was £31.2 million, representing contracts for up to 198 consultants from 22 organisations.
	Seven organisations were short-listed in the procurement process for the LRUC scheme. HMRC entered into contracts with each of them for 'proof of solution' testing to be conducted at test track facilities in Berkshire, to allow them to demonstrate their credibility and that their technical solutions could work. The value of these contracts cannot be disclosed while it would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of HMRC and those organisations.

National Savings Accounts

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value is of unclaimed assets in national savings accounts.

John Healey: The total unclaimed monies (unaudited) as at 31 March 2005 were £34,587,000. Unclaimed monies in the National Savings and Investments Product Accounts refer to monies where: the product has been redeemed by the Treasury, monthly interest or prizes are due, or to un-cashed Savings Stamps.
	To help re-unite customers with their dormant assets, National Savings and Investments operates a free tracing service which, since its launch in 2001 has helped to re-unite 11,300 customers successfully with their assets worth £10.2 million.

National Statistician

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to announce the appointment of the next National Statistician; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The recruitment of the next National Statistician will be carried out in accordance with standard civil service practice. The appointment will be made by the Prime Minister following the recommendation of a selection panel, which has four members (including an independent chair and only one Government representative).

Oil and Gas Prices

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Government have made of the impact on their revenues of changes in oil and gas prices.

John Healey: The impact of higher oil prices on the public finances is discussed in Box 2.5 in the 2004 pre-Budget report.
	The Government will publish an update of the effect of oil prices on the UK's public finances and updated forecasts for the UK and world economies in the 2005 pre-Budget report as usual, taking into account all relevant factors and developments.

Personal Income Tax Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people with incomes below £10,000 per year had incomes above the personal income tax allowance for each year from 1997–98 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information on the number of people with annual total income above the personal income tax allowance but below £10,000 from 1998–99 to 2005–06 is available in table 3.3 'Distribution of total income before and after tax by gender' on the HM Revenue and Customs website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu.htm.
	There were 9.6 million people with annual total income above the personal income tax allowance but below £10,000 in 1997–98.
	The income tax information for the years 1997–98 to 2002–03 is based upon the Survey of Personal Incomes, and that for the years 2003–04 to 2005–06 is based upon the 2002–03 survey projected forward. The survey is based on information held by the HM Revenue and Customs tax offices on persons who are liable to UK tax.

Pound Sterling

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the purchasing power is of the pound sterling, taking its May 1997 value as 100p.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 22July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, concerning what the purchasing power is of the pound sterling, taking its May 1997 value as l00p. (14288)
	Based in the Retail Prices Index, the purchasing power of l00p in May 1997 is 82p as at June 2005 (the latest month available). In other words, the purchasing power fell by 18% during this period.

Pound Sterling

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average value of the pound sterling against theUnited States Dollar has been in each month since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 5 September 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the average value of the pound sterling against the United States Dollar has been in each month since 1997. (14289)
	Average rates against sterling figures for the United States Dollar are published in table 7.1A of Financial Statistics" (ONS Publication), published by Palgrave Macmillan, and available via the House of Commons Library. Long run historic data is available on the ONS Website at:
	http://nswebcopy/statbase/tsdtablesl.asp?vlnk=fsf

Pregnancies (Wellingborough)

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pregnancies there were in the age groups (a) under 16-year-olds, (b) 16 to 19-year-olds and (c) aged 20 years and over in the Wellingborough constituency in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Peter Bone, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many pregnancies there were in the age groups (a) under 16 years old, (b) 16 to 19 years old and (c) aged 20 years and over in the Wellingborough constituency each year since 1997. (14773)
	Information on conceptions is routinely published for local authorities and strategic health authorities. Figures cannot be provided for Wellingborough Parliamentary Constituency because of the risk of disclosing information on individuals due to small differences with local authority boundaries.
	Figures for Wellingborough Local Authority are given in the table below.
	
		Number of conceptions, Wellingborough LA, 1997 to 2003.
		
			  Age under 16 Age 16 to 19 Age over 20 All ages 
		
		
			 1997 12 134 891 1,037 
			 1998 10 149 923 1,062 
			 1999 15 131 887 1,033 
			 2000 19 132 835 986 
			 2001 13 134 884 1,031 
			 2002 10 148 919 1,077 
			 2003(91) 23 144 894 1,061 
		
	
	(91)Figures for 2003 are provisional.

Retirement Age

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) males and (b) females reached retirement age in each year since 1975.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning how many (a) females and (b) females reached retirement age in each year since 1975. (14265)
	Attached is a table showing the male population aged 65 and the female population aged 60 on the 30 June for mid-1975 to mid-2003, for England and Wales. Retirement age during this period was 65 for males and 60 for females.
	These figures represent males and females who reached retirement age within the previous year (mid-year to mid-year) and who are usually resident in the UK at 30 June. They exclude any people who died or left the UK after reaching retirement age and before 30 June, and include anyone resident in the UK at 30 June who reached retirement age elsewhere.
	Mid-2003 population estimates are the latest available. Mid-2004 population estimates will be published on 25 August 2005.
	
		Males aged 65 and females aged 60 on 30 June, in England and Wales -- Thousand
		
			  Males age 65 Females age 60 
		
		
			 1975 246.9 304.7 
			 1976 242.5 280.6 
			 1977 243.4 260.9 
			 1978 246.8 231.9 
			 1979 247.0 239.1 
			 1980 242.3 348.3 
			 1981 226.5 330.1 
			 1982 208.2 311.4 
			 1983 184.1 293.2 
			 1984 191.5 287.2 
			 1985 282.1 281.4 
			 1986 268.1 279.4 
			 1987 256.7 272.7 
			 1988 242.5 267.1 
			 1989 240.2 267.8 
			 1990 238.3 270.8 
			 1991 240.8 267.9 
			 1992 234.7 258.6 
			 1993 230.0 250.8 
			 1994 230.6 248.4 
			 1995 233.2 254.0 
			 1996 235.2 259.1 
			 1997 231.4 262.2 
			 1998 226.1 266.7 
			 1999 225.1 267.9 
			 2000 232.0 265.1 
			 2001 236.2 253.1 
			 2002 241.2 267.0 
			 2003 244.3 293.3 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Population estimates are shown in thousands and rounded to the nearest 100 people.
	2.Figures may not add exactly due to rounding.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics.

Savings Gateway Scheme

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the new Savings Gateway scheme for low income and unemployed people to the constituency of Houghton and Washington East.

Ivan Lewis: The first Saving Gateway ran from August 2002 to November 2004 and was piloted in five parts of the country, alongside the Department for Education and Skills Community Finance and Learning Initiative. In the pre-Budget report the Government announced the second Saving Gateway pilot to build on the evidence base. This pilot is being run in the same areas as the first, with one additional area to link in with educational support.
	The second Saving Gateway pilot will test alternative match rates, different monthly contribution limits, the effect of an initial endowment, and the support of a wider range of community financial education bodies. It will also be made available to a wider range of income groups than the first pilot and will inform the development of matching as a central pillar in Government strategy for promoting saving and asset ownership for all.

Scottish Fisheries Protection Vessels

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on what dates (a) he and (b) his Department discussed with the Scottish Executive the EU rules governing the tendering process for Scottish Fisheries Protection vessels; and what (i) information and (ii) advice he has given to the Scottish Executive on the application of these rules in relation to the requirement to award contracts competitively, with particular reference to whether it is possible to award such contracts solely to British shipyards;
	(2)  what representations he has made to the European Commission on behalf of the Scottish Executive in relation to the rules governing the tendering process for Scottish Fisheries Protection vessels; and what (a) information and (b) advice he has received from the European Commission on the application of the European Union procurement rules in this case.

Des Browne: Neither I, nor my Department, have had discussions with the Scottish Executive or the European Commission regarding the tendering process for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Vessels. Responsibility for the application of the EU procurement rules rests in this case with the contracting authority, the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. Since devolution, the Scottish Executive has overall policy responsibility for public procurement in Scotland in devolved areas.

Self-invested Personal Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  under what circumstances from April 2006 funds from a self-invested personal pension can be invested in properties already owned by the fund holder prior to April 2006, or prior to the fund being setup;
	(2)  whether payments equivalent to market rent must be made into self- invested personal pension funds for properties bought with fund finances during periods for which they are unoccupied;
	(3)  what types of property may be purchased, and in what circumstances, with funds from a self-invested personal pension from April 2006;
	(4)  if he will estimate the net effect on revenues to his Department of the changes to self invested personal pension funds due to be implemented in April 2006 for each of the next five financial years;
	(5)  in what circumstances funds from the sale of properties financed through a self invested personal pension fund will be subject to capital gains tax from April 2006.

Ivan Lewis: Pension tax simplification replaces the numerous existing tax regimes with a universal regime for tax-privileged pension savings providing greater flexibility to some 15 million pension savers. Currently most pension funds may invest in property, and many do. Under the new simplified regime self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) and small self-administered schemes (SSASs) may invest in all types of property including residential property from 6 April 2006. Around 200,000 people, compared to over 15 million pension scheme members, hold these specialist pension vehicles. Creating a single set of allowable investments across all pension schemes fits the requirement to create a single regime for tax privileged pension saving and corrects an existing distortion by giving investors greater choice.
	Using a SIPP to invest in a buy to let residential property or holiday home will have the following consequences:
	the property becomes an asset of the pension fund and there is a requirement to put all rental income into the pension fund so it is locked away and cannot be accessed until retirement;
	if the property is made available to a member of the scheme or members of their family it will give rise to a benefits in kind tax charge if a market rent is not paid (even if they choose not to use it);
	any property bought by the pension fund in most cases will need to be sold before the pension can be drawn, to provide a secured income in retirement;
	only 25 per cent. of the capital in the property will be able to be extracted as a lump sum, the remainder will be locked in the pension to be drawn out over the period of retirement;
	the restriction on borrowing of 50 per cent. of the value of the scheme's assets will limit the numbers who have or are able to build up sufficient funds in their SIPP to purchase a property;
	although any rental income or capital gains from the disposal of the property will be tax free in the pension fund when the money is extracted it will be taxed at 30 per cent. (higher rate tax at 40 per cent. on 75 per cent. of the gain assuming 25 per cent. is taken as a tax free lump sum) which is higher than the rate under the CGT regime payable after the property has been held for seven years;
	putting any previously-owned property into the SIPP will trigger any unrealised chargeable gain on the property, and transaction costs such as stamp duty;
	maximum tax relief on contributions made in any year is 100 per cent. of UK chargeable earnings, subject to an annual allowance set initially at £215,000. Tax relieved pension savingsare also subject to a lifetime allowance initially set at £1.5 million.
	Therefore, although the measure will increase the number of pension funds that can invest in residential property, these factors will mean that for most people(including the relatively few affected by the liberalisation) residential property will not be an appropriate investment.
	The regulatory impact assessment (RIA) Simplifying the Taxation of Pensions" published in April 2004, which can be found at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/simplifying-pensions.pdf set out an assessment of the potential impact of the whole pensions simplification package, including the changes to the lifetime allowance and ages at which pensions can be taken, together with allowing residential property into SIPPs and SSASs. These elements cannot easily be separated and therefore the RIA estimates the overall cost of the pensions simplification package to the Exchequer at around £¼billion within four years. Paragraphs 55 and 56 deal specifically with the potential consequences of allowing residential property into SIPPs and SSASs.
	The Government will keep this aspect of the tax system, as with all others, under review.

Special Advisers

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the special advisers in his Department, (b) their specific areas of expertise and (c) the total cost of employing them in the latest year for which figures are available.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement which the Prime Minister issued on 21 July.

Tax Credits

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what formula is used for calculating the rate at which tax credit overpayments are recovered from recipients; how many and what proportion of recipients making repayments are doing so using direct debit; and what proportion of overpayments were recovered by direct debit on the latest date for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to HMRC's Code of Practice 26, What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?", a copy of which is in the Library. HMRC have set up 59,718 direct debit arrangements since December 2004. The rest of the information requested is not available.

Tax Credits

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy for terms of repayment of overpaid tax credit to be agreed with recipients before deductions are made.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my statement of 26 May 2005, Official Report, columns 22–23WS. This confirmed that I had asked HMRC to review the operation of the code of practice on over-payments. Meeting the commitment made by HMRC's chairman to the Public Accounts Committee in January 2005, the Department will ensure that in cases of genuine hardship where the recovery of an over-payment is disputed, recovery can be suspended while the dispute is resolved.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints about the recovery of overpaid tax credits his Department has received in each month since April 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: Overpayments for 2003–04 were only finally identified after April 2004 when HMRC started finalising awards for that year.
	The monthly breakdown of disputes against overpayments received each month from May 2004 is as follows:
	
		
			 Month Disputes received 
		
		
			 May 2004 2,000 
			 June 2004 12,000 
			 July 2004 17,000 
			 August 2004 9,000 
			 September 2004 28,000 
			 October 2004 25,000 
			 November 2004 22,000 
			 December 2004 16,000 
			 January 2005 18,000 
			 February 2005 24,000 
			 March 2005 44,000 
			 April 2005 32,000 
			 May 2005 22,000 
			 June 2005 23,000

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints about tax credit awards his Department has received in each month since April 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: Claimants can contact HM Revenue and Customs to appeal if they think that their tax credits award is wrong. The Department will seek to agree the amount of the award with the claimant and make the correct payment. Information concerning appeals can be found in the HMRC leaflet WTC/AP How to appeal against a tax credits decision or award" which is available on the internet at—http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc_ap.pdf.
	The number of appeals recorded against tax credits decisions in each month since April 2003 is as follows:
	
		2003–04
		
			 Month Number of appeals received (Great Britain) 
		
		
			 April 2003 1,275 
			 May 2003 3,555 
			 June 2003 3,900 
			 July 2003 3,830 
			 August 2003 2,665 
			 September 2003 3,225 
			 October 2003 3,730 
			 November 2003 2,490 
			 December 2003 2,320 
			 January 2004 2,145 
			 February 2004 2,030 
			 March 2004 2,120 
		
	
	Note:
	Rounded to the nearest 5 cases.
	In 2003–04 a further 370 appeals were recorded by Tax Credit Office in Northern Ireland (NI). A monthly breakdown of this figure is not available.
	
		2004 to June 2005 (including NI)
		
			 Month Number of appeals received (UK) 
		
		
			 April 2004 2,720 
			 May 2004 2,380 
			 June 2004 3,910 
			 July 2004 6,100 
			 August 2004 3,395 
			 September 2004 2,950 
			 October 2004 2,210 
			 November 2004 3,390 
			 December 2004 5,065 
			 January 2005 3,560 
			 February 2005 3,170 
			 March 2005 5,225 
			 April 2005 4,375 
			 May 2005 3,830 
			 June 2005 2,610 
		
	
	Note:
	Rounded to the nearest 5 cases.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of postage relating to tax credits was in each year from 1999–2000 to 2004–05.

Dawn Primarolo: Postage costs for tax credits were around £3 million for 1999–2000; £5 million for 2001–02; £9 million, for 2002–03; £10.5 million, for 2003–04 and £14 million for 2004–05.
	The costs for 1999–2000 relate to the costs of sending information to working families' tax credit (WFTC) and disabled person's tax credit (DPTC) applicants. This was a much smaller population that for child tax credit (CTC) and working tax credit (WTC) and the fixed nature of WFTC and DPTC awards meant that fewer communications were necessary.
	During 2002–03 recipients of WFTC, DPTC and children's tax credit were sent claim packs in readiness for the introduction for CTC and WTC in April 2003. From 2004–05 renewals packs were sent to all CTC and WTC claimants, then each claimant would have received award notice as the previous year's award was finalised and the new award set up. So, the number of items each claimant needed to receive in the second year was more than in the first year.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral statement of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 720, on tax credits, how many staff will be dedicated to the pilot scheme for contacting customers to encourage them to report changes to their tax credit award; whether these will be (a) new members of staff and (b) staff already working on the tax credit helpline or dealing with complaints; how long he expects the pilots to run for; what he estimates the cost of the scheme will be; and how he will evaluate the success of the pilot scheme.

Dawn Primarolo: The pilot exercises have begun and are expected to run throughout 2005–06. It is not expected that significant numbers of HMRC staff will be re-deployed from their day to day work to support the pilots nor is it expected that additional staff will be recruited. The cost of the exercise is expected to be modest.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral statement of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 722, on tax credits, how many tax credit overpayments for 2003–04 were the result of (a) rises in income from (i) £2,500 to £2,999, (ii) £3,000 to £3,999, (iii) £4,000 to £4,999, (iv) £5,000 to £5,999, (v) £6,000 to £6,999, (vi) £7,000 to £7,999, (vii) £8,000 to £8,999, (viii) £9,000 to £9,999, (ix) over £10,000, (b) changes in circumstances and (c) official error.

Dawn Primarolo: Reductions in tax credits awards can result from a combination of changes in circumstances and incomes, which can also be reported at different times. It is not always possible to say whether any particular change caused or contributed to an eventual overpayment.
	On (a) to (i), Table 6 of Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised awards 2003–04. Supplement on payments in 2003–04" analyses by income bands the 1,879 thousand awards where payments in 2003–04, as recorded on the computer record for each case, exceeded the finalised entitlement for 2003–04 by more than £10. This publication can be found at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. The following table shows the number in each specified band of rise in income where this is at least £2,500.
	
		Overpaid 2003–04 awards where the increase in income between 2001–02 and 2003–04 exceeded £2,500
		
			  Increase in family's income between 2001–02 and 2003–04 Number of awards overpaid at 5 April 2004, based on finalised incomes(92)(Thousand) 
		
		
			 (a) 2,500 to 2,999 77 
			 (b) 3,000 to 3,999 144 
			 (c) 4,000 to 4,999 119 
			 (d) 5,000 to 5,999 96 
			 (e) 6,000 to 6,999 79 
			 (f) 7,000 to 7,999 67 
			 (g) 8,000 to 8,999 59 
			 (h) 9,000 to 9,999 49 
			 (i) 10,000 and over 313 
			 Total 2,500 and over 1,003 
		
	
	(92)Excluding awards with overpayments under £10. See the note in the publication referred to.
	On (j) , it is not possible to establish how many overpaid cases experienced a change in circumstance reducing the value of their 2003–04 award, except at disproportionate cost.
	On (k) , no complete analysis exists of official error causing or contributing to overpayments.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claimants had (a) in-year and (b) end-of year adjustments made to their tax credits awards in each year since 2003–04; and in how many in-year adjustments the tax credit award was reduced to zero.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 21 July 2005
	Tax credit awards can be adjusted during the year to take account of changes in circumstances or income reported at that time. In-year adjustments are therefore part of the normal operation of the tax credit system and their numbers are not monitored.
	For 2.1 million 2003–04 tax credits awards the finalised entitlement differed from that based on the family's circumstances and incomes as reported by 5 April 2004. No figure for 2004–05 awards will be available until all such awards are finalised.

Tax Credits

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants in the Tunbridge Wells constituency there were in each year since the scheme began; and how many have been (a) underpaid and (b) overpaid.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 95W. Estimates of numbers of overpayments or underpayments for 2004–05 awards will not be available until spring 2006, after final 2004–05 incomes and family circumstances have been reported.

Tax Credits

Denis Murphy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in the Wansbeck constituency have been advised by the Inland Revenue that they have been overpaid tax credits; and how many families have had their overpayments written off.

Dawn Primarolo: For the first part of the question I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 95W.
	With regard to the second part of the question, information about the amounts written off is not available at a regional level.

Tax Credits

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have had their tax credit payments suspended due to overpayments in each year since the tax credit system was introduced in (a) each county in England and Wales and (b) Wellingborough constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: Overpayments of tax credits are not identified until final incomes and family circumstances for the year are reported. Details of how overpayments are recovered are provided in the Department's Code of Practice 26 What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?", which is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.htm.
	Information on the number of families whose awards were reduced to zero is only available at disproportionate costs.
	Tax credit awards can also be adjusted during the year to take account of a change in circumstances or income. Where this leads to a change in entitlement, payments will be adjusted with the aim of paying out the right amount for the year as whole. This is also explained in the Code of Practice 26 What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?" This is part of the normal operation of the tax credit system and no count of such occurrences is maintained.

Tax Credits

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many working tax credit overpayments there were in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last two years; and what the total value was of overpayments in each year;
	(2)  what the total value is of overpayments for each tax credit, broken down by region and nation of the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: The number and value of 2003–04 tax credit awards that were underpaid and overpaid after finalisation, by region, parliamentary constituency and local authority can be found in the publication Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. Finalised Awards 2003–04. Supplement on Payments in 2003–04. Geographical Analyses". This is available on the HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm.
	Estimates of numbers and value of overpayments or underpayments for 2004–05 awards will not be available until after final incomes and family circumstances for 2004–05 have been reported.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of 22 June 2005 by the Paymaster General, Official Report, columns 801–14, on tax credits, 
	(1)  what plans he has to review the right of appeal within the tax credit system; and what assessment he has made of the merits of the adoption of a statutory test for the recovery of excess payments and overpayments of tax credits;
	(2)  what action his Department is taking to allow people to appeal against tax credit overpayments which were recovered prior to June; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what plans he has to introduce an independent right of appeal in relation to tax credit overpayment recovery; and if he will make a statement.

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if HM Revenue and Customs will permit a right of appeal to an independent tribunal to persons from whom the recovery of overpayment of tax credits is sought.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 7 July 2005
	I refer the hon. Member and my right hon. Friend to my statement of 26 May 2005, Official Report, column 802, on tax credits.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of 12th July 2005, Official Report, column 720, how long it takes on average to identify tax credit IT system problems; what actions will be taken to speed up their identification; and whether he will set internal targets for identifying and resolving IT system problems.

Dawn Primarolo: Tax credit IT system problems are managed according to industry best practice as set out in the Office of Government Commerce's IT Infrastructure Library. HMRC uses the mechanisms that are recommended for the identification and subsequent resolution of any problem. The Department is also working with its IT partner to test additional diagnostic tools.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1) how many telephone calls were made each month to the (a) tax credits helpline and (b) hon. Members' tax credit helpline from January 2003 to June 2005; how many of these calls were not answered; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many telephone calls were made to the tax credits helpline in each month in 2003–04 and 2004–05, broken down by (a) calls answered and (b) calls not answered; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many calls to the tax credits helpline were made between April 2003 and April 2005; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many calls have been (a) received and (b) handled by the Inland Revenue tax credits telephone helpline in each month since August 2002; and if he will make a statement.

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many calls were made to the tax credit helpline in each of the last 24 months.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 19 and 20 July 2005
	The information requested is as follows:
	(a) Details of calls made to the helpline are given in the following table.
	
		Thousand
		
			  Received(93) Handled(94) Engaged and busy(95) 
		
		
			 2002–03
			 August 28 28 — 
			 September 179 177 — 
			 October 324 320 — 
			 November 394 374 — 
			 December 268 265 — 
			 January 851 771 3 
			 February 1,168 957 348 
			 March 2,487 1,701 4,237 
			 2003–04
			 April 2,509 1,768 12,880 
			 May 2,000 1,680 9,478 
			 June 957 913 12,920 
			 July 1,254 1,168 4,096 
			 August 1,059 999 311 
			 September 1,259 1,196 555 
			 October 1,139 1,104 70 
			 November 1,158 1,102 216 
			 December 902 878 127 
			 January 1,132 1,107 116 
			 February 1,087 1,066 56 
			 March 1,475 1,453 33 
			 2004–05
			 April 1,869 1,824 301 
			 May 2,101 2,064 208 
			 June 2,321 2,287 191 
			 July 2,149 2,109 262 
			 August 1,936 1,913 32 
			 September 2,774 2,620 244 
			 October 1,818 1,793 52 
			 November 1,493 1,471 101 
			 December 1,097 1,065 62 
			 January 1,694 1,627 199 
			 February 1,529 1,471 256 
			 March 1,554 1,504 103 
			 2005–06
			 April 1,962 1,842 652 
			 May 2,051 1,940 350 
			 June 2,164 2,043 327 
		
	
	(93)Where the caller selected an option from the call steering menu and was put in a queue to speak to an adviser.
	(94)Where the caller spoke to an adviser.
	(95)Details for the period August to December 2002 are not available.
	(b) The MPs' hotline in HM Revenue & Customs' Tax Credit Office deals with calls from hon. Members about their constituents' tax credits claims. Figures are not available for the period January 2003 to March 2003. For the number of calls answered by the MPs' hotline in 2003–04 and for April to December 2004, Irefer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb), 21 February 2005, Official Report, columns 75–76W. The figures for 1 January 2005 to 31 May 2005 are given in the following table. The telephony equipment does not record the number of calls not answered.
	
		
			  2005 Number of calls to Tax Credit Office MPs' Hotline 
		
		
			 January 1,730 
			 February 1,690 
			 March 1,700 
			 April 1,411 
			 May 942

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations were made by EDS to the Inland Revenue in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 in relation to the timetable for testing the tax credit system; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The representations made by EDS about the timetable for testing the tax credits system were covered by the Public Accounts Committee at its hearing of 3 December 2003.
	As EDS made clear in that PAC hearing they advised the Department at the time that there was no material reason not to go live with the tax credits system, and had no evidence at that time that the problems that did occur would do so.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many of the tax credit awards involving underpayments of £5,000 or more in 2003–04 involved underpayments of (a) £6,000 or more, (b) £7,000 or more, (c) £8,000 or more, (d) £9,000 or more and (e) £10,000 or more; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many of the tax credit awards involving overpayments of £5,000 or more in 2003–04 involved overpayments of (a) £6,000 or more, (b) £7,000 or more, (c) £8,000 or more, (d) £9,000 or more and (e) £10,000 or more; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number and sizes of 2003–04 tax credit awards overpaid and underpaid at the 5 April 2004 with an overpayment or underpayment of more than £5,000 based on final family circumstances and income is available in the HMRC publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised awards 2003–04. Supplement on payments in 2003–04" This publication can be found on the HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm.
	The following table shows a further breakdown of the number of overpayments and underpayments of more than £5,000.
	
		Finalised 2003–04 awards underpaid or overpaid at 5 April 2004, by size of under or overpayment -- Thousands
		
			 Size of underpayment or overpayment Underpaid awards Overpaid awards 
		
		
			 Greater or equal to £5,000 but less than £6,000 3 22 
			 Greater or equal to £6,000 but less than £7,000 1 11 
			 Greater or equal to £7,000 but less than £8,000 — 4 
			 Greater or equal to £8,000 but less than £9,000 — 2 
			 Greater or equal to £9,000 but less than £10,000 — 1 
			 Greater or equal to £10,000 — 1 
		
	
	Notes.
	These figures are estimates based on a sample of all awards, therefore due to sampling uncertainty all figures below 0.5 thousand have been withheld.
	The level of under or overpayment at 5 April 2004 for each award is based on the 2003–04 entitlement calculated from the family's circumstances and income in 2003–04 reported by April 2005.

Tax Credits

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many manual tax credit payments were made in May 2005; and for what reasons manual payments were necessary.

Dawn Primarolo: In May 2005, around 14,100,000 tax credits payments were made.
	The main reasons that manual payments were made in May were to prevent hardship (a) where there had been delays in processing changes in circumstances; (b) where claims had been terminated because the award notice had not been signed and the claim was subsequently reinstated; (c) where an error resulted in a child or children no longer being shown on the award notice.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have faced a penalty for withdrawing their tax credit claims in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06 to date.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC may charge penalties where a claim has been made fraudulently or negligently. A claim may be withdrawn before it is processed, although not afterwards. If the information provided by the claimant is incorrect a penalty can be charged even if the claim is withdrawn. It would be possible only to ascertain the number of penalties charged in respect of claims that had been withdrawn at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

Stephen Dorrell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 713, what the precedents are to which he refers.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The term Official Error" has a long history of use to describe serious administrative mistakes. It has been used for many years by the Inland Revenue (now HMRC) where the Department has made serious mistakes in handling a person's tax affairs.
	Since 1971, this has developed into Extra Statutory Concession (A19) under which tax can be waived where arrears arise because of the Department's failure to make proper and timely use of information supplied by the taxpayer, so that they could reasonably have believed their tax affairs were in order.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families received an annual tax credit award of (a) £10 or less, (b) £20 or less, (c) £50 or less and (d) £100 or less in the latest year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the average number of tax credit awards broken down by the size of awards in 2003–04 are available in the HMRC publication, Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards 2003–04." This publication can be found on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	The minimum tax credits award payable is £26 per year. Cumulative figures for the average number of in-work families that received tax credit awards in 2003–04 of less than £50 and less than £100 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Level of annualised entitlement Average number of in-work families benefiting (thousand) 
		
		
			 Less than £50 per annum 4.9 
			 Less than £100 per annum 14.5

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will release provisional data relating to the (a) underpayment and (b) overpayment of tax credits in the year 2004–05.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of numbers and values of overpayments or underpayments for 2004–05 awards at 5 April 2005 will be published in spring 2006, after all the awards are finalised.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the underpaid tax credit awards in 2003–04, excluding underpayments of less than £10, how many have been rectified to date.

Dawn Primarolo: Where underpaid awards of 2003–04 were identified, HM Revenue and Customs' policy is that they should be repaid as lump sums as soon as possible. Of the 713,000 awards that were underpaid at 5 April 2004, almost all have been recompensed.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of (a) management consultants and (b) IT consultants in relation to tax credits was in each year from 1999–2000 to 2004–05.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of IT consultants for 1999–2000 was around £150,000; for 2000–01 around £250,000; for 2001–02 around £4.4 million; for 2002–03 around £7.3 million; for 2003–04 around £8 million and for 2004–05 around £4.4 million.
	No management consultants were employed.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the minimum number of overpayments, expressed as a percentage of caseload, which could be achieved without making changes to the structure of the tax credit system.

Dawn Primarolo: In a system, which is designed to be flexible to respond to changes in families' incomes and circumstances, there will inevitably be adjustments at the end of the year and in some cases these will involve overpayments. HMRC are working to reduce the number of overpayments by reminding claimants of the need to ensure that HMRC have up to date information about their circumstances. It is not possible to say what the minimum number of overpayments would be.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many households saw their tax credit awards reduced by (a) 5 per cent. or more, (b) 10 per cent. or more, (c) 25 per cent. or more, (d) 50 per cent. or more and (e) 75 per cent. of more, as a result of the recovery of earlier overpayments in 2004–05;
	(2)  how many households saw their tax credit awards reduced by more than (a) £5, (b) £10, (c) £25 and (d) £50 a week, as a result of the recovery of overpaid tax credits in 2004–05.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. There are limits to the extent to which payments are reduced to recover overpayments in previous years, and families for whom such reductions would cause them hardship can discuss their cases with the Department—see HMRC Code of Practice 26—What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?"

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) largest and (b) average number of letters relating to tax credits sent to a single household was in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the assumptions about the scale of tax credit underpayments and overpayments in each year from 2003–04, together withthe extent and timing of their subsequent recovery or rectification, which underpin his public finance projections.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of underpayments and overpayments are based upon administrative data of outturn to date. It is assumed that recovery will be made in accordance with the Code of Practice 26 (available online at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.pdf)

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the recovery in 2004–05 of a tax credit overpayment made in 2003–04 would serve to reduce his estimate of Government borrowing in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

Dawn Primarolo: The recovery in 2004–05 of a tax credit overpayment made in 2003–04 would reduce Government borrowing in 2004–05.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of legal fees relating to tax credit disputes was in each year from 1999–2000 to 2004–05.

Dawn Primarolo: A total of £42,648 has been spent since 2001.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets he has set for the take-up of (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit in each year from 2003–04 to 2005–06.

Dawn Primarolo: There are no targets for the take-up of working tax credit and child tax credit. Initial analysis suggests that in its first year, child tax credit achieved an estimated take-up rate of 80 per cent. by caseload, considerably higher than the take-up rate in the first full year of working families' tax credit (62 to 65 per cent.) and the first year take-up rate for family credit (57 per cent.).

Tax Refunds

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value of unclaimed tax refunds was for each year since 2001.

Dawn Primarolo: Tax refunds are made either as a result of a taxpayer filing a tax return or making a specific claim. No information is available on the total amount of refunds of tax unclaimed since 2001.

Total Public Expenditure

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will set out for each region (a) total public expenditure, (b) total public expenditure excluding debt interest, (c) total public expenditure excluding all transfer payments, (d) total public expenditure excluding all transfer payments and all defence expenditure, (e) total public expenditure on education, (f) total public expenditure on health, (g) total public expenditure on the police and (h) total public expenditure on transfer payments as a share of gross domestic product;
	(2)  what the (a) total public expenditure, (b) public expenditure excluding debt interest, (c) public expenditure excluding transfer payments, (d) public expenditure excluding transfer payments and defence expenditure, (e) public expenditure on education, (f) public expenditure on health, (g) public expenditure on the police and (h) public expenditure on transfer payments was in 2004–05 per head of population in each standard region calculated on the same basis as the usual figures provided for the UK.

John Healey: Information on identifiable public spending by region and by function is published in Chapter 8 of Public Expenditure Analyses (Cm 6521).

Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking as part of the efficiency review to safeguard Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs' future provision of services to the public through the medium of the Welsh language.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC is preparing business plans to meet its efficiency savings for 2005–08. It is too early to say how this might affect any particular office. Any decisions will be made in full consultation with the unions and appropriate stakeholders.

Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential change of the number of Welsh speakers employed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs as a result of the efficiency review.

Dawn Primarolo: The necessity of providing a high quality Welsh language service remains one of HMRCs objectives, in addition to being a legal requirement. The Head of HMRCs Welsh Language Unit is currently preparing a Linguistics Skills Strategy in accordance with the Welsh Language Board's guidelines. This strategy will facilitate the implementation of HMRCs Welsh Language Scheme.

Work Force (Milton Keynes)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what percentage of people in Milton Keynes are classified as (a) professionals and (b) skilled workers; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what percentage of people in Milton Keynes are employed in (a) service industries and (b) manufacturing industries; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Lancaster, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about employment in Milton Keynes. (14255, 14256)
	The attached tables contain the information requested for all those in employment in Milton Keynes for the year ending February 2004, the latest year for which information is available. These estimates are based on annual local area Labour Force Survey data which, as with any sample survey, is subject to sampling variability.
	
		People employed in selected occupations in Milton Keynes local authority; year to February 2004 -- Percentage
		
			 Professional occupations Skilled workers 
		
		
			 13 11 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey
	
		People employed in selected industries in Milton Keynes local authority; year to February 2004 -- Percentage
		
			 Service industries Manufacturing 
		
		
			 80 13 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey

Work Force (Milton Keynes)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the unemployment rate was in Milton Keynes in each year between 2001 and 2005; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Lancaster, dated 22 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment in Milton Keynes. (14257]
	Table 1 overleaf shows the unemployment rates for Milton Keynes unitary authority for each 12-month period ending February of each year from 2002 to 2004, the latest data available. These estimates are based on annual local area Labour Force Survey data which, as with any sample survey, is subject to sampling variability.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas. Table2 overleaf shows the annual average number of JSA claimants, resident in Milton Keynes, as a proportion of the resident working age population for each year from 2001 to 2004.
	These data, together with monthly counts of JSA claimants, are published on the Office for National Statistics Nomis(r) website: www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		Table 1: Unemployment rates for persons aged 16 and over: Milton Keynes -- Per cent.
		
			 12 months ending February Unemployment rate 
		
		
			 2002 3.5 
			 2003 5.3 
			 2004 5.2 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual local area Labour Force Survey
	
		Table 2: Annual average proportions of JSA claimants: Milton Keynes -- Per cent.
		
			  Proportion of resident working age population 
		
		
			 2001 1.4 
			 2002 1.7 
			 2003 1.9 
			 2004 1.8 
		
	
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system

Working Tax Credit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people classified as having a disability are eligible for working tax credit; and what the percentage uptake is among this group.

Dawn Primarolo: Work to produce final take-up rate estimates for child tax credit and working tax credit for 2003–04 is continuing and we expect this analysis to be completed towards the end of 2005–06. As part of this work we are exploring the feasibility of estimating take-up for sub-groups of the eligible population.

TRANSPORT

Accident Statistics

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost of road accidents in (a) Essex and (b) England was in the last year for which figures are available; and how much of that estimate is accounted for by (i) lost output, (ii) police and administration costs, (iii) medical and ambulance costs, (iv) damage to property and (v) allowance for loss in human terms.

Stephen Ladyman: Estimated costs of road accidents are only available for Great Britain. Information for Essex and England could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Accident Statistics

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost per (a) fatal, (b) serious, (c) slight and (d) damage-only road accident in (i) Essex and (ii) Great Britain was in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: The estimated average cost in 2003 in Great Britain per (a) fatal accident was £1,492,910; (b) serious accident £174,530; (c) slight accident £17,550; (d) damage only accident £1,570. Data for accident costs in Essex are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Airport Security

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which agencies are responsible for security at UK airports.

Karen Buck: The Secretary of State for Transport is responsible for the UK National Aviation Security Programme (NASP) which is administered by the Department for Transport (DfT). The NASP allocates legal responsibility for individual security measures to specific elements of the aviation industry and DfT inspectors monitor and enforce their compliance. The NASP is maintained in co-ordination with, and in addition to the work of, other control authorities particularly the Police, HM Revenue and Customs and the UK Immigration Service.

Airprox Events

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Airprox events within a three mile radius of Wargrave, Berkshire have been recorded since 1999.

Karen Buck: There have been two—one in July 2002 and the other in April 2004. Both events were assessed by the UK Airprox Board as having no risk of collision.

Altmark Trans

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the ruling by the European Court of Justice in the case of Altmark Trans, with particular reference to its implications for (a) lifeline ferry services and (b) competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Our assessment is that the Altmark ruling does not affect the requirement for competitive tendering of these ferry services. We consider that the ruling would apply only where there is no specific EU legislation applying to the services in issue. The requirement to tender ferry services in Scotland stems from Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3577/92 on Maritime Cabotage which does apply to these ferry services.

Better Government for Wales

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he intends to implement Paragraph 3.12 of the White Paper, Better Government for Wales" (Cm 6582), in respect of any bill he introduces in the current Session of Parliament.

Derek Twigg: We intend to implement the Government's policy as stated in paragraph 3.12 of the White Paper Better Governance for Wales" Cm 6582. We are in discussion with the Assembly Government on the issues concerned.

Biofuels

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the EU Commission's decision to start infraction proceedings against the UK in relation to the use of biofuels.

Stephen Ladyman: We are confident that we have implemented the biofuels directive properly and in full. We will be responding to the European Commission shortly with a robust justification of our approach. As a result of Government support, sales of biofuels in the UK are now running at some 10 million litres a month, a 500 per cent. increase since this time last year.

Bus Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost per mile of operating bus services outside London has been in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the cost for the next five years.

Karen Buck: Annual surveys of the bus and coach industry for each financial year show the cost per mile of operating local bus services in Great Britain outside London and the latest available data are given in the following table. There are no forecasts for future years.
	
		Cost per vehicle mile (at 2003–04 prices)
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1996–97 1.51 
			 1997–98 1.51 
			 1998–99 1.53 
			 1999–2000 1.46 
			 2000–01 1.56 
			 2001–02 1.62 
			 2002–03 1.52 
			 2003–04 1.60

Bus Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money his Department has given to each local authority outside London towards the costof subsidising local bus services in each of the last three years; and what the budget is for the next three years.

Derek Twigg: The Department's main grant to local authorities for the support of local bus services is Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG). Annual allocations of that grant to each authority are shown as follows:
	
		£
		
			 Council 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Bath and NE Somerset 208,878 216,957 225,464 
			 Bedfordshire 661,054 680,886 707,583 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 58,239 59,986 62,338 
			 Bracknell Forest 59,749 61,541 63,954 
			 Brighton and Hove — 24,367 25,322 
			 Bristol 9,733 10,025 10,418 
			 Buckinghamshire 837,352 887,526 922,326 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,179,323 1,316,869 1,368,503 
			 Cheshire 914,504 947,889 985,055 
			 Cornwall 1,822,209 1,876,875 1,950,466 
			 Cumbria 1,428,712 1,471,573 1,529,273 
			 Darlington 72,156 94,605 98,314 
			 Derbyshire 1,065,690 1,138,789 1.183,440 
			 Devon 2,102,692 2,165,773 2,250, 692 
			 Dorset 864,586 904,265 939,721 
			 Durham 902,115 929,178 965,61 1 
			 East Riding 797,436 821,259 853,460 
			 East Sussex 834,542 874,401 908,686 
			 Essex 1,567,295 1,694,611 1,761,056 
			 Gloucestershire 1,185,018 1,220,569 1,268,427 
			 Greater Manchester 197,464 286,868 298,116 
			 Halton 18,930 34,507 35,860 
			 Hampshire 1,334,822 1,374,867 1,428,775 
			 Hartlepool 25,178 25,933 26,950 
			 Herefordshire 779,674 803,064 834,552 
			 Hertfordshire 662,158 682,023 708,765 
			 Isle of Wight 237,681 244,811 254,410 
			 Kent 1,925,061 2,088,151 2,170,027 
			 Lancashire 1,121,377 1,238,021 1,286,563 
			 Leicestershire 829,966 854,865 888,384 
			 Lincolnshire 1,782,390 1,835,862 1,907,845 
			 Medway 130,540 166,717 173,254 
			 Merseyside 124,569 128,306 133,337 
			 Middlesbrough 17,224 17,741 18,437 
			 Milton Keynes 106,694 112,759 117,180 
			 Norfolk 2,379,242 2,450,619 2,546,707 
			 NE Lincolnshire 63,650 73,794 76,687 
			 North Lincolnshire 384,195 395,721 411,237 
			 North Somerset 198,261 204,209 212,216 
			 North Yorkshire 2,059,752 2.121,545 2,204,730 
			 Northamptonshire 1,039,788 1,070,982 1,112,975 
			 Northumberland 710,850 768,870 799,017 
			 Nottinghamshire 780,008 808,123 839,809 
			 Oxfordshire 1,383,229 1,424,726 1,480,589 
			 Peterborough 125,414 158,211 164,414 
			 Plymouth 14,559 14,996 15,584 
			 Poole 11,074 11,406 11,853 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 84,311 86,840 90,245 
			 Rutland 159,692 168,946 175,570 
			 Shropshire 940,682 968,902 1,006,892 
			 Somerset 1,518,856 1,608,722 1,671,799 
			 South Gloucestershire 285,650 294,220 305,756 
			 South Yorkshire 505,546 520,712 541,129 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 50,488 53,684 55,789 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 8,093 8,336 8,663 
			 Staffordshire 1,207,499 1,243,724 1,292,490 
			 Swindon 83,230 85,727 89,088 
			 Suffolk 1,793,147 1.846,941 1,919,359 
			 Surrey 911,328 970,189 1,008,230 
			 Telford and the Wrekin 113,487 116,892 121,475 
			 Thurrock 56,970 58,679 60,980 
			 Torbay 12,512 15,105 15,697 
			 Tyne and Wear 122,439 128,645 133,689 
			 Warrington 89,007 107,875 112,105 
			 Warwickshire 889,993 933,388 969,986 
			 West Berkshire 347,114 357,632 371,655 
			 West Midlands 129,532 142,945 148,550 
			 West Sussex 864,530 890,466 925,381 
			 West Yorkshire 829,325 980,819 1,019,276 
			 Wiltshire 1,173,172 1,227,044 1,275,156 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 75,487 95,812 99,569 
			 Wokingham 115,558 130,769 135,896 
			 Worcestershire 1,008,061 1,038,303 1,079,014 
			 York 109,261 123,342 128,178 
			 Total 48,500,000 51,000,000 53,000,000 
		
	
	Allocations to individual authorities have not yet been made for 2006–07 and 2007–08 but the total sums provisionally set aside for those years are £54.3 million and £55.6million respectively.
	In addition to RBSG, we have awarded a total of £163million to some 400 local authority projects following success in Bus Challenge competitions held between 1998 and 2003. Many of these projects are still in receipt of funding. A full list of all Bus Challenge awards, showing the local authority involved, is available on the Department's website.
	We will also be awarding a further sum, provisionally set at £20million over three years, to projects successful in a Kickstart" bus funding competition which is currently under way this summer. The authorities successful in this competition will be announced in the autumn.
	The majority of local authority bus subsidy is funded by authorities from their own resources, including the revenue support grant from Government.

Bus Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of subsidised bus services for each (a) route and (b) miles for each local authority outside London in each of the last three years; and what forecast he has made of the cost of subsidising bus services in each of the next two years.

Derek Twigg: The Department for Transport does not make annual estimates, or forecasts, of the costs for each local authority of subsidised bus services. However, in 2001 we commissioned a three-year research study of overall trends in the provision of such services, including changes in contract prices. The research report is on the Department's website.

Bus Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) commercially operated bus services and (b) subsidised routes have been operating in each local authority area outside London in each of the last three years; and what estimate he has made of the number which will operate in each of the next two years.

Derek Twigg: The Department for Transport does not collect information, or make forecasts, on the number of commercial or subsidised bus routes in each local authority area.

Crossrail

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the construction of Crossrail on mainline services between the South West and London Paddington (a) during construction and (b) once construction is complete.

Derek Twigg: Crossrail involves line upgrading work such as track alteration, electrification and platform lengthening. This will be managed through a series of night time and weekend track possessions and a two week closure of Paddington. When Crossrail services come into operation they will normally run on the northern pair of tracks, known as the relief lines. During normal running, Crossrail services will not affect the southern pair of lines, known as the main lines, on which the South West services operate, and there is no intention of displacing existing traffic from the relief to the main lines.

Crossrail

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of supporting the Superlink proposal as an additional element to the Crossrail project.

Derek Twigg: The Superlink proposal would be a whole route alternative to Crossrail, not an element that could be added to Crossrail. I understand that Cross London Rail Links Ltd. assessed and rejected the proposal as part of its consideration of alternative routes to that set out in the Government's Hybrid Bill now before Parliament.
	In addition to posing serious practical and environmental problems, the more expensive Superlink proposals would be contrary to the Government's wider policy objectives and would represent a much greater challenge in terms of funding.

Crossrail

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether an additional rail connection between the West Coast Mainline and the Great Western Mainline, as required by the Superlink proposal, is being considered within the Crossrail project.

Derek Twigg: No proposal for an additional rail connection between West Coast Mainline and the Great Western Mainline is being considered under the Crossrail project.

Cycle Lanes

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures will be taken to (a) incorporate cycle lanes into the transport system and (b) provide secured cycle parking, in preparation for the 2012 Olympic games.

Karen Buck: London's plans for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games were set out in the candidature file submitted to the International Olympic Committee in November 2004.
	These plans include proposals to allow parking for 4,000 cycles in the Olympic zone and to add 50 km of new cycle lanes to the London cycle network.

Driving Tests

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) passes and (b) failures of the driving test there were in each test centre in Lanark and Hamilton East in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The table shows the results of practical car driving tests conducted at test centres in the constituency of Lanark and Hamilton East in each of the last five years.
	
		Pass/fail rates for test centres in Lanark and Hamilton East
		
			  Pass Fail Total Percentage pass 
		
		
			 Hamilton driving test centre 
			 2000–01 733 1243 1976 37.10 
			 2001–02 904 1642 2546 35.51 
			 2002–03 1052 1789 2841 37.03 
			 2003–04 1456 2148 3604 40.40 
			 2004–05 1667 2795 4462 37.36 
			  
			 Lanark driving test centre 
			 2000–01 380 441 821 46.29 
			 2001–02 416 510 926 44.92 
			 2002–03 455 555 1010 45.05 
			 2003–04 539 516 1055 51.09 
			 2004–05 507 509 1016 49.90

Dual Carriageways (Central Reservation Fencing)

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of dual carriageway trunk roads have central reservation fencing.

Stephen Ladyman: All dual carriageway trunk roads in England with a speed limit over 50 mph have central reserve fencing, except where:
	The central reservation is wider than 10 metres, and fencing is not needed.
	There are gaps in the central reservation for junctions and maintenance crossovers.
	A small proportion (about 3 per cent.) has a speed limit of less than 50 mph and may or may not have central reservation fencing.

Dual Carriageways (Central Reservation Fencing)

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many kilometres of all purpose dual carriageways there are without safety fences in non-urban areas of England.

Stephen Ladyman: There are 3,979 kilometres of non-urban, all purpose dual carriageways in England. 2,551 kilometres are trunk roads and standards require these to have safety fences if the speed limit is 50 mph or greater and otherwise where they are justified.
	Roads other than trunk roads are the responsibility of Local Highway Authorities. Records are not held centrally for the lengths of non-trunk, all purpose dual carriageways without safety fences.

Environmental Costs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of the effects of the average (a) lorry and (b) motor vehicle on (i) the environment and (ii) the road network.

Stephen Ladyman: Estimates of the environmental and infrastructure costs imposed by lorries and cars can be found in tables 7.2 to 7.5 of Surface Transport Costs and Charges: Great Britain 1998" Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, July 2001. The research was commissioned by the then Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and a copy can be found in the Library.

Equality and Diversity

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Department has spent promoting equality and diversity in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Karen Buck: The Department for Transport is fully committed to the equality and diversity agenda and has policies and processes in place to ensure that there is no unfair discrimination on any grounds.
	The Department was formed in May 2002 and has specifically promoted the equality and diversity agenda and has spent:
	
		£
		
			  Outturn 
		
		
			 2002–03 494,551.97 
			 2003–04 560,889.73 
			 2004–05 704,663.05 
		
	
	The Department for Transport employs a team of 16 staff who specifically work on diversity and equality issues.
	In 2004–05, £39,000.00 was spent running diversity and equality seminars and on related issues such as achieving a better work/life balance, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation; religion and or belief and harassment and bullying.
	We consistently support participants on corporate diversity programmes such as Pathways (£15,000.00 over two years), the disability bursary scheme (£20,000.00 per year in 2003–04 and 2004–05) and the undergraduate summer placement scheme (£60,028.14 from 2002 to 2005).
	We funded diversity and equality-related training courses for all staff including harassment contact officer.
	We ensure that advertisements for external recruitment campaigns appear in all sections of the media. In 2000–01 we were involved in the Diversity UK exhibition (£3,619.00). In 2003–04 our vacancies were advertised in the Disability View magazine at a cost of £795.00.
	Our policies and practices for all staff are general equality proofed in-house. However, to ensure that we are complying with the Cabinet Office PSA targets it was necessary to employ consultants to equality proof the Bands 4, Bands 6 and Senior Civil Service Assessment processes at a cost of £4,523.50.
	External consultants have been used for the positive action Green Light development programme aimed at minority ethnic staff across the Department.

Flitwick Railway Station

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the bid process for the new Greater Western and Thameslink/GN rail franchise will take account of car parking charges and capacity at Flitwick Railway Station, Bedfordshire.

Derek Twigg: As part of their bids, bidders for the franchise are required to submit plans that demonstrate how they intend to manage car parks at stations effectively, monitoring demand and matching it with a suitable number of parking places as far as possible. These plans form part of the overall evaluation of the bid.

Irish Light Dues Subsidy

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made towards renegotiating the Irish Light Dues subsidy; and how much has been allocated to this subsidy for 2005–06.

Stephen Ladyman: We have begun to work with the Irish Government's Department of Communication, Marine and Natural Resources to review the current funding arrangements for the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL), focusing initially on agreeing common ground and exploring possible solutions.
	CIL is currently funded both through the General Lighthouse Fund, from light dues levied on commercial shipping calling at UK and Republic of Ireland ports, and also from a top-up contribution from the Irish Government. Half of the sum CIL is deemed to spend in the Republic of Ireland comes from light dues levied on shipping at UK ports, but no amount is allocated in advance for this contribution. It varies depending on the amount of light dues collected in the Republic of Ireland and the fluctuations in the exchange rate.

Leeds Supertram

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make an announcement on the Leeds Supertram proposal.

Derek Twigg: The Secretary of State made clear the position on the Supertram scheme in his oral statement last summer on 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 159. Since then we have been in discussions with WYPTE about their alternative proposals which we will decide upon in due course.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years.

Karen Buck: Details of spend on external consultants and advisers by the Department are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2002–03 292.5 
			 2003–04 239.5 
			 2004–05 193.3 
		
	
	Separate figures for management consultancy are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Maritime Cabotage Regulations

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what dates (a) he and (b) his Department discussed with the Scottish Executive how the EU maritime cabotage regulations and EU rules on state aid apply to the provision of lifeline island ferry services; and what (i) information and (ii) advice he has given to the Scottish Executive on the application of these rules in relation to competitive tendering for the west coast ferry routes operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has discussed these matters with the Scottish Executive over a period of several years.

Maritime Cabotage Regulations

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has made to the European Commission on behalf of the Scottish Executive in relation to how the EU's maritime cabotage regulations and rules governing state aid apply to the delivery of lifeline ferry services.

Stephen Ladyman: The UK Government responded to the Commission's consultation on its then draft Community Guidelines on State Aid to Maritime Transport on 3 June 2003. The response dealt with issues in relation to the UK and included, on behalf of the Scottish Executive, the application of the new guidelines to Scottish lifeline ferry services. Particular subjects covered included mainland to mainland routes, extent of tendered contract periods, and financial and passenger threshold levels.

Maritime Cabotage Regulations

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) information and (b) advice he has received from the European Commission on the application of the maritime cabotage regulations and state aid to the Scottish west coast ferry routes; and what representations he has received from the European Commission on competitive tendering for these routes.

Stephen Ladyman: The European Commission produced a Communication on Community Guidelines on State aid to Maritime Transport on 17 January 2004. We have been kept informed of the correspondence between the Scottish Executive and the Commission on the specific question of state aid to the Scottish west coast ferry services. We received a pre-infraction letter from the European Commission on 29 June 2005, seeking clarification on apparent lack of progress to comply with Community requirements in relation to these routes.

Mersey Crossing

Mike Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce his decision on Halton borough council's submission on a new crossing over the River Mersey; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: We are currently reviewing further appraisal information recently submitted by Halton borough council for this scheme. It is not yet possible to say when a decision will be announced.

Motorway Signs

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost has been (a) in Cumbria and (b) on the rest of the motorway network of erecting signs with the messages Highways Agency and Highways Agency End.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is as follows:
	(a) The cost is estimated at £76,352 for the trial in Cumbria, including fabrication and installation of the signs and assessment of their effectiveness. The trial is intended to test whether signing improves public understanding of the role of the Highways Agency and, thereby, improves the communication with the public.
	(b) Nil: No signs have been installed elsewhere. No decision will be taken on a wider roll out until the results of the research have been fully evaluated.

Motorway Signs

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many signs (a) have been and (b) are proposed to be erected on motorways which contain the messages Highways Agency and Highways Agency End.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Agency has installed 23 signs on the M6 and its slip roads and 11 signs on the A66, under the trial to increase driver awareness of the Agency's management of these roads.
	(b) No more signs will be installed until the results of the current trial are assessed.

Motorway Signs

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the purpose is of traffic signs on the approaches to the slip road of the M6 motorway in Cumbria which state Highways Agency and Highways Agency End.

Stephen Ladyman: The purpose of the signs is to advise road users that a road branded in this way is one maintained, managed and operated by the Highways Agency. This enables road users to direct their views on the road to the correct authority and increases awareness of the Agency's role in managing the country's strategic road network.

Railways

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the (a) cost, (b) feasibility and (c) effects of re-doubling the rail line between Kemble and Swindon; and what discussions he has had with (i) the Strategic Rail Authority, (ii)Network Rail and (iii) the bidders for the relevant franchise on this issue.

Derek Twigg: SRA made an assessment of the demand for rail travel on the Swindon-Gloucester corridor as part of its recently-published Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS), and concluded that the infrastructure was adequate to support the forecast demand for the duration of the RUS period (to 2012).
	The issue will next be reassessed, by Network Rail, when signalling renewals for the route become due.
	Bidders for the Greater Western franchise are not required to provide prices for any infrastructure schemes.

Railways

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new railway line he expects to be built in the next 12 months.

Alistair Darling: Construction of section 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, which is 24 miles long, is well under way and is due to be completed in 2007. In addition, there are a number of other smaller projects under way.

Safety Cameras

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2005, Official Report, columns 1228–29W, on safety cameras, how and where the estimated revenue generated through fixed penalties from 2000 to 2003 was distributed and spent.

Stephen Ladyman: Bedfordshire joined the safety camera programme in April 2002, receipts from fixed penalties for speeding prior to that will have accrued to the Treasury's consolidated fund.
	The table shows receipts from fixed penalties, expenditure by the partnership and the balance accruing to the Treasury for the Bedfordshire and Luton safety camera partnership area from April 2002.
	
		£
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Receipts from fixed penalties 3,047,520 3,655,200 
			 Expenditure 2,655,021 2,292,260 
			 Balance, accruing to the Treasury 392,499 1,362,940

Safety Cameras

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) recent assessment he has made and (b) assessment he plans to make of the possible effects of (i) forward facing and (ii) rear facing speed camera flash on a driver driving at night; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: We have not assessed and have no plans to assess the effects of the camera flash from rear and forward facing speed cameras on a driver at night. We are not aware of any evidence to suggest that the flash from a camera has a detrimental affect on drivers.

Safety Cameras

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money has been collected in fines from motorists as a result of speed cameras on the A13 and A127 between Southend and the M25.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department.

SRA

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role the Strategic Rail Authority plays in regional planning assessments; and if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for such assessments.

Derek Twigg: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is working with the railway industry and local stakeholders to prepare a series of regional planning assessments, which will form the basis on which the development of the railway is planned over the next five to 20 years. The Department for Transport will take on this work as the SRA is wound down.

Tonnage Tax

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1295W, on tonnage tax, how many companies have to date failed to make returns within 30 days of each four month period since January 2004; and how many prosecutions (a) have resulted and (b) are in progress as a consequence.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of company groups failing to make returns within 30 days of each four month period since January 2004 is as in the table. No prosecutions have resulted or are in progress.
	
		
			   Year/period Number of returns outstanding 31 days or more after end of Period 
		
		
			 2003–04  
			 1—October 2003 to January 2004 31 
			 2—February to May 2004 35 
			 3—June to September 2004 26 
			   
			 2004–05  
			 1—October 2004 to January 2005 39 
			 2—February to May 2005 28

Traffic Congestion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce congestion on the A5 between the A406 and the A407; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The A5 between the A406 and the A407 is the responsibility of the London Boroughs of Barnet and Brent.

Traffic Congestion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce congestion on the A5 between the A4003 and the A501; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The section of the A5 between the A5205 and the A501 forms part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) which is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL). The section of the A5 between the A4003 and the A5205 is the responsibility of the London boroughs of Brent and Camden and the city of Westminster.

Transport Contracts

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on which occasions in the last four years his Department has put transport contracts out for competitive tender under the requirements of EU regulations.

Karen Buck: The Department was formed in May 2002. The numbers of contracts awarded by the Department under the EU regulations in each of the last three years are as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2002 134 
			 2003 84 
			 2004 135

Variable Vehicle Excise Rates

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to develop and extend the scheme of variable vehicle excise rates for vehicles which have reduced environmental impact.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government keep all taxation policy under review. Any changes to taxation policy are announced by the Chancellor in the context of his Budget statement.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Ambassadors (Subordinate Staff)

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints of misconduct made by Her Majesty's Ambassadors against subordinate staff are outstanding; how long each case has been outstanding; whether investigations in each case have been concluded; and when in each case the complaint is expected to be determined.

Jack Straw: None.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how regularly the British ambassador to Burma is in contact with members of the National League for Democracy;
	(2)  when the British ambassador to Burma last met (a) Aung San Suu Kyi and (b) other members of the National League for Democracy;
	(3)  when the British ambassador to Burma last requested a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi; and what the outcome was of this request.

Ian Pearson: Our ambassador in Rangoon last met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on 25 April 2003. Since she was detained on 30 May 2003, the Burmese regime has refused all requests by our ambassador to call on her. Most recently our ambassador raised her case with the Burmese Foreign Minister on 16 May.
	We have repeatedly called for Aung San Suu Kyi's immediate release, most recently in a press statement my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued on 16 June when we made clear that her continued detention is completely unjustified. A copy of the statement is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases. We continue to highlight her detention with the Burmese, reminding the regime that our EU and international partners have all called for the restrictions on her to be lifted and that we hold the regime responsible for her safety and security. We have also continued to press the regime to allow Tan Sri Razali, UN Secretary-General's Special Representative, and Professor Pinheiro, Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights, unrestricted access to Burma. Our embassy in Rangoon monitors the situation closely and maintains regular contact with the National League for Democracy. Our ambassador visited their headquarters most recently on 27 May 2005.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Burma regarding its refusal to grant Razali bin Ismail, the UN Special Envoy to Burma, a visa.

Ian Pearson: We regularly urge the regime to allow the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative, Tan Sri Razali, unrestricted access to Burma, so he can continue his positive work there. Most recently this was done when the EU Troika, including the United Kingdom, met the Burmese Foreign Minister in Kyoto on 6 May.
	We firmly support the mandate of Tan Sri Razali and remain in close and frequent contact with him and his staff.
	We also urge the regime to allow access to Professor Pinheiro, the Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights.
	We will continue to press this issue.

China

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives the Government will be taking during the course of their presidency of the European Union to address concerns about the one child policy in China; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We have never questioned China's right or need to implement family planning policies but we have raised concerns about reports of enforced sterilisation and abortion. We will continue to do so where this is an issue, including during our EU presidency and through our bilateral contacts.

China

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions during the last 12 months when the Government have publicly condemned the one child policy in China; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We have never questioned China's right or need to implement family planning policies but have made it clear that we believe these should be implemented based on the principles of the International Conference on Population and Development: consent not coercion. We have in the past raised concerns about reports of enforced sterilisation and abortion.

Collinson Grant Report

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he was given sight of the Collinson Grant report on the management of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I saw a summary of the report, including key findings, on 3 February, followed by the report itself shortly afterwards.

Collinson Grant Report

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place a copy of the Collinson Grant report on the management of his Department in the Library.

Jack Straw: A copy of the Collision Grant report has been placed in the Library of the House.

Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list management consultants employed by his Department in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him today (UIN 12583).

Correspondence

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is for dealing with and responding to correspondence received in (a) Welsh, (b) Scots Gaelic and (c) Irish Gaelic.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has no formal policies or statutory obligations relating to the translation of documents into minority languages.
	On past practice, we have translated certain major publications into Welsh, but we do not routinely translate smaller documents into Welsh, and do not translate into Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic, on the grounds that no clear cost-benefits case exist.
	The FCO has the capability to translate into Welsh and other languages, if required, through approved third-party translators via the FCO Translation Service.

Departmental Expenditure

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Moray constituency and (ii) the Highland Region was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not categorise its expenditure by region and this information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Dundee East constituency, (ii) Tayside and (iii) the City of Dundee was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not categorise its expenditure by region and this information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Banff and Buchan and (ii) the North East of Scotland was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: The Foreign Commonwealth Office does not categorise its expenditure by region and this information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in Perth and North Perthshire was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not categorise its expenditure by region and this information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time equivalents have worked for the Department for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: Figures for Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff numbers are notified to the Cabinet Office according to a central counting convention. The figure for full-time equivalents is not yet available for 2005. The numbers of UK based employees, i.e. excluding staff employed locally at posts, for each of the previous five years, at the first of April, and including the FCO's Agency, Wilton Park, were as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2004 5,970 
			 2003 5,950 
			 2002 5,680 
			 2001 5,500 
			 2000 5,460 
		
	
	The increase in staff numbers is largely due to the sustained growth in demand for visas and consular services over the last five years.

Deputy Legal Adviser

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what civil service grade the Deputy Legal Adviser in his Department is.

Jack Straw: Deputy Legal Advisers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, of which there are three, are graded as Senior Management Structure (SMS) staff; their seniority equates approximately to the former Grade 3 in the home civil service.

Equality and Diversity

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Department has spent promoting equality and diversity in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has spent the following amounts promoting equality and diversity in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2000–01 24,874 
			 2001–02 354,292 
			 2002–03 359,014 
			 2003–04 512,725 
			 2004–05 592,306 
		
	
	These figures include spending on activities promoting equality and diversity within and outside the FCO through training courses, sponsoring internal and external events, membership of diversity organisations, diversity recruitment advertising and providing reasonable adjustments for disabled staff. For Financial Year 2004–05, the figures include expenditure by UK visas, a joint Home Office and FCO unit which runs the UK's visa service through British Diplomatic Posts overseas. Prior to that, we have no record of UK visas funding separate activities promoting equality and diversity. The figures for Financial Year 2003–04 and 2004–05 include spending by the UK Outreach Team, which was formed in early 2003. Full figures for years before Financial Year 2001–02 are not available.
	The Department for Trade and Industry has met the costs of United Kingdom Trade and Investment's activities promoting diversity and equality.
	The cost of running the FCO's nurseries and subsidising nursery places with external providers is not included in the above figures. Calculating this could be provided only at disproportionate cost as the contributions from parents go into a central budget.
	Spending on improving access to our UK sites is not included in the above figures. Establishing these costs would involve looking at all UK Estate invoices from the past five years. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The FCO's overseas posts and its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) may also incur costs promoting equality and diversity. Collating this information would involve contacting individual overseas posts and individual sponsoring departments of NDPBs. Sponsoring departments would then have to contact each NDPB for details. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Laws

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list draft EU laws in respect of which the Government have made representations seeking their withdrawal.

Douglas Alexander: As part of their better regulation efforts, the European Commission is reviewing over 200 legislative proposals with a view to their possible withdrawal or modification. They include proposals for which no impact assessment was carried out; on which substantial progress has not been made for some time; or where new scientific evidence, market developments or social change justify a review. We fully support this initiative and have suggested two specific proposals that could be considered in this review:
	Draft directives on the safety of nuclear installations and on the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste; and
	Draft directive 2003/0246 on Access to Justice.
	In both cases, we judge that appropriate EU and/or national measures already exist. The memorandum submitted to the Commission on these directives has been placed in the Library of the House.

EU Meetings (Scottish Executive Ministers)

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on Scottish Executive Ministers (a) attending EU council meetings, (b) chairing EU council meetings during the UK presidency and (c) leading the UK delegation to EU council meetings.

Douglas Alexander: Scottish interests are represented at all EU council meetings by the UK delegation. On certain occasions Scottish Executive Ministers also attend council meetings, as part of the UK delegation. This happened most recently at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 20–21 June 2005 (Scottish Executive Minister Ross Finnie). I am informed that the Scottish Executive is also consulted, as a matter of course, on devolved matters likely to be raised at council meetings.

EU Meetings (Scottish Executive Ministers)

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions Scottish Executive Ministers have led UK delegations to EU council meetings.

Douglas Alexander: Scottish Executive Ministers have attended EU Council meetings on 68 occasions since 1999, leading the UK delegation on three occasions. Details of attendance can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Internation al-Relations/Europe/Page6
	
		
			 Date Council Minister 
		
		
			 8 June 2000 Education Nicol Stephen 
			 12 February 2001 Education Nicol Stephen 
			 4 June 2001 Health Susan Deacon

EU Meetings (Scottish Executive Ministers)

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which council meetings during the UK presidency of the EU Scottish Executive Ministers are scheduled to chair.

Douglas Alexander: Scottish Executive Ministers will not be chairing council meetings during the UK presidency of the EU.
	The Scottish Executive Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport (Patricia Ferguson) will take the UK seat at the Culture and Audiovisual Council on 14–15 November 2005 in Brussels.

EU Presidency

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the EU council meetings to be held in (a) London, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) Scotland during the UK presidency of the EU.

Douglas Alexander: During the UK presidency of the EU all formal EU council meetings will be held in Brussels or Luxembourg.

European Union

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK's financial contribution has been to the European Union in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: Details of UK contributions to the EU budgets are set out in HM Treasury's White Papers on European Community Finances which are available in the Library of the House. The budget statements for 2003, 2004 and 2005 cover UK contributions since 1997.

Freedom of Information

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests have been answered by the Department; and in how many cases (a) information was wholly exempted, (b) information was partly exempted and (c) the requests were answered in full.

Jack Straw: Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 statistics published by the Department for Constitutional Affairs on 23 June show that during the period 1 January to 31 March 2005, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) answered 491 requests, of which 61 were wholly exempted, 222 were partly exempted, and 92 were answered in full. Of the remaining 116 requests, no information was held in 27 cases, and in 89 the FCO required further information in order to identify and locate the information requested.
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) is committed to publishing quarterly updates in relation to departmental performance under FOI, including information on both the volume and outcomes of requests. The first of these updates was published on 23 June 2005 and can be found both on the DCA website at http://www.foi.gov.uk/statsjan-mar05.htm and in the Library of the House. The next bulletin is due in the autumn of this year, while an annual report is also to be published in early 2006.

Grievance Procedures

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what responsibilities fall (a) to him and (b) to the Permanent Under-Secretary in relation to complaints of misconduct against officers appointed to senior positions in the Department.

Jack Straw: Staff misconduct matters are dealt with by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials. I am briefed on more serious cases of misconduct.
	All diplomatic service officials can appeal to the Diplomatic Service Appeal Board (DSAB) against dismissal. All home civil servants can appeal to the Civil Service Appeal Board (CSAB). The DSAB and CSAB would submit their recommendations to me.
	The Permanent Under-Secretary would hear any appeal by a senior FCO official in his direct line management chain. This would be when an allegation of misconduct had previously been upheld by the offending official's line manager.
	The FCO Misconduct Procedure is consistent with best practice and statutory obligations. A copy of the Procedure is available in the Library of the House.

Grievance Procedures

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs when the (a) First Division Association and (b) each of the otherrepresentative bodies of his Department's staff were consulted about the last substantive revision of theDepartment's grievance procedure; and whatrepresentations were made by each representative body.

Jack Straw: The First Division Association and the two other trade unions recognised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), were fully consulted during the drafting and review process of the Department's grievance procedure via the Trade Union Secretariat, in August 2004 prior to its implementation.
	When it was introduced, FCO Management agreed with the Trade Union Side to review the new procedure after six months and have offered to meet them for this purpose.
	The views of all the constituent unions were collated by the Trade Union Secretariat during the review process. Those views included concerns about the handling of grievances by line managers and the provision of relevant training for those managers. These concerns were largely addressed at the time the updated procedure was implemented.

Grievance Procedures

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department's grievance procedure underwent a substantive revision; what the consequential principal variations in the procedure and appeal machinery are; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's grievance procedures were reviewed and updated on 29 September 2004. The key features of the updated procedure are:
	Expectation that informal resolution will be attempted first wherever possible;
	Formal grievance to be submitted using standard format;
	Grievance to be looked at the lowest appropriate level in the line management chain;
	Face-to-face meeting to be offered, with right to be accompanied;
	New, clearly-defined appeal process;
	Single procedure for all grievances but modified for cases of alleged bullying/harassment.
	A copy of the Department's grievance procedures is in the Library of the House.

Intelligence Service

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints have been made to the relevant Tribunal or Commissioner in relation to the actions of the Intelligence Service since the enactment of the Intelligence Service Acts and Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and how many complainants had their complaint upheld in each year.

Jack Straw: The number of complaints received by the Tribunal/Commissioner under section 9 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994 were as follows:
	
		
			 Date Number of complaints (Secret Intelligence Service and General Communications Headquarters) Of which, complaints referred to Commissioner in respect of property 
		
		
			 1995 21 5 
			 1996 3 3 
			 1997 6 4 
			 1998 7 5 
			 1999 5 3 
			 January to September 2000 7 3 
		
	
	On no occasion did the Tribunal/Commissioner uphold any complaint.
	The Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), established under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), came into being on 2 October 2000. From that date the IPT assumed responsibility for the jurisdiction previously held by, among others, the Intelligence Service Tribunal. As the Intelligence Services Commissioner explains in his 2000 and subsequent annual reports to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, complaints to the IPT cannot easily be categorised" under the three Tribunal system that existed prior to RIPA. Consequently, I am unable to detail those complaints that relate solely to the actions of the intelligence services. I can only provide information on the total number of complaints made to the Tribunal."
	The total number of complaints received by the IPT are as follows:
	
		
			 Date Number of complaints 
		
		
			 2000 (96)11 
			 2001 91 
			 2002 130 
			 2003 109 
			 2004 (*1) 
		
	
	(96)October to December.
	(*1) Figures to be published shortly in the Commissioner's Annual 2004 Report.
	On no occasion has the IPT concluded that there has been a contravention of RIP A or the Human Rights Act 1989. Consequently no complaints have been upheld.

Iraq

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of civilians killed in Iraq by (a) insurgent forces and (b) coalition forces since April 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We believe that the Iraqi authorities remain in the best position to record the civilian casualties in their country. The Iraqi Ministry of Health (MOH) has released figures covering the period from 5 April 2004, when collation of statistics began, to 5 April 2005. These figures show that 6,629 Iraqis were killed and 28,838 injured during that period. The MOH records roughly the kind of incident that caused the deaths but cannot be definitive on who was responsible for the incident. The figures cover all Iraqis, including civilians, Iraqi Security Forces and insurgents, killed as a result of violence.

Islamabad (Visa Applications)

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the length of time taken by the British High Commission in Islamabad to produce the explanatory statement required by the Home Office to initiate a visit visa appeals process.

Kim Howells: holding answer 6 July 2005
	I would like to apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in replying.
	The visa section in Islamabad aims to meet best practice targets on the issue of family visit appeals, which, prior to a change in the appeals procedure, were dispatched directly to the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA). The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal have now replaced the IAA. Best Practice target guidance requires visa sections at British overseas missions to issue papers to the UK within one month of receipt.

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Jack Straw: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1372W. Expenditure specifically on management" consultancy is not categorised separately from that for external consultancy as a whole.
	However, the following details of our expenditure with our main suppliers of external consultancy in general over the period in question may be helpful:
	
		£
		
			 Company 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Fugitsu 5,386,000 561,000 3,241,000 
			 ATOS/KPMG 2,156,000 4,086,000 2,805,000 
			 Logica UK 3,425,000 1,937,000 843,000 
			 Parity Resources 1,474,000 1,848,000 0 
			 PA Consulting 1,079,000 1,255,000 590,000 
			 Cedar Enterprise Solutions 1,177,000 771,000 0 
			 WS Atkins 1,132,000 703,000 0

Media Relations

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Department has spent on external media relations in each month of the last year.

Ian Pearson: In the financial year 2004–05, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spent £543,160 on external media relations. Of this total consular directorate spent £458,160: £425,160 in June 2004 for the Know Before You Go" consular campaign and £33,000 in March 2005 for work on the forced marriage publicity campaign. EU Directorate paid £12,500 each month from October 2004 to March 2005 and £10,000 to the Central Office of Information in March 2005 for managing external media relations in connection with the UK's presidency of the EU. In total EU Directorate paid £85,000.
	The FCO's overseas posts and its non-departmental public bodies also incur costs on external media consultants. Information about these could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Middle East

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the Palestinians to stop the Qassam missile attacks on Israeli communities; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We are pressing the Palestinian Authority to take immediate and effective action against those involved in attacks on Israelis. The Palestinian Security Forces have made some efforts, which we have encouraged, to tackle those attempting to launch Qassam rockets.

Middle East

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the recent missile attacks on Israeli communities from Gaza on the Israeli Gaza disengagement plan; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We condemn unreservedly the recent and continuing missile attacks on Israel. We also condemn violence by Palestinian militants against Palestinian security personnel. At the same time, we view with great concern attacks by the Israeli Air Force that have killed a number of Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Gaza. We urge Israel to exercise maximum self-restraint and urge co-operation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. We also call for immediate and effective Palestinian action against those involved in attacks on Israelis.
	It is very important that the momentum of recent months is not lost, and that the Palestinian Authority and Israel work together to focus on the opportunity that disengagement offers. Successful disengagement will offer greater security for Israel and a chance for a better life for Palestinians, as well as a critical opportunity for both parties to return to the Roadmap.

NATO Parliamentary Assembly

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the members of the UK delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Douglas Alexander: The following right hon. and hon. Members and Peers will represent the United Kingdom at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly:
	Hugh Bayley MP
	Michael Clapham MP
	Frank Cook MP
	David Crausby MP
	right hon. Bruce George MP
	Jimmy Hood MP
	Ann McKechin MP
	Denis MacShane MP
	Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale
	Lord Sewel CBE
	right hon. Michael Mates MP
	right hon. Sir John Stanley MP
	Peter Viggers MP
	right hon. Lord Jopling
	Derek Conway MP
	Peter Bottomley MP
	right hon. Sir Menzies Campbell CBE QC MP
	Paul Keetch MP

Opinion Surveys

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) subject matter and (b) dates were of opinion survey research undertaken by the Department and its agencies in the last 12 months; if he will place copies of the results of each survey in the Library; which companies were used in conducting the research; and how much each was paid.

Ian Pearson: Aside from informal qualitative consultations used to inform the planning of public diplomacy campaigns overseas and outreach activities within the UK, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its agencies have centrally commissioned only one opinion research survey during this period. The details of this study are as follows:
	Date: October 2004
	Subject: India pre-campaign survey
	Detail: This opinion survey aimed to benchmark attitudes towards, and associations with, the UK among educated, urban 18 to 35-year-old Indians in advance of a major public diplomacy initiative in India.
	Contractor: Synovate India
	Cost: £4,850
	The results of this piece of research will be placed in the Library of the House.
	In addition to the survey listed above, the FCO's posts overseas will occasionally commission survey research locally. However, a comprehensive list of these studies is not kept centrally, and could be compiled only over a much longer timescale, and at disproportionate cost.

Philippines

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in the Philippines.

Ian Pearson: We are aware of the rapidly-changing situation in the Philippines, and monitor it closely. The current domestic political situation is an internal matter for the Philippines to resolve, in accordance with its constitutional provisions.

Raoul Wallenberg

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK Government have made since 1997 to the Government of Russia about the fate of Raoul Wallenberg; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: There is no record of the Government having made representations since 1997 to the Russian Government about the fate of Raoul Wallenberg.

Telephone Inquiries

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what facilities his Department has to deal with telephone inquiries in (a) Welsh, (b) Scots Gaelic and (c) Irish Gaelic.

Jack Straw: We have no such facilities.

Tibet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implementation of outstanding UN resolutions relating to Tibet.

Ian Pearson: The Government accords with the three UN resolutions on Tibet, which call for respect for human rights there, by raising our concerns, including individual cases, at every suitable opportunity and at the highest level with the Chinese. We believe Tibetans should have a greater say in running their own affairs in Tibet. The best way to achieve this is through dialogue between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama, without preconditions.

UN Counter-Terrorism Committee

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1373; which countries have not reported to the Counter-Terrorism Committee on steps taken or planned to implement the resolution; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Every country in the UN has reported to the Counter-Terrorism Committee at least once. Many countries, including the UK, have reported on several occasions. There have been major advances in counter-terrorism efforts since Resolution 1373 was passed in September 2001, but clearly more remains to be done. The committee has begun visits to states and has a new expert team in place to improve its efforts to monitor—and assist—states' implementation.

United Nations

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve the governance of the United Nations..

Ian Pearson: pursuant to the reply, 21 July 2005, Official Report, c. 2107W
	I regret that the answer of 21 July contained an error. The correct answer should read as follows:
	In September 2005 the UN Millennium Review Summit will address recommendations on reform of the UN system put forward by the UN Secretary- General in his report In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All".
	The Government welcome these proposals and hope to build on them at the summit. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, in his meetings with the UN Secretary-General, has highlighted the importance that the UK attaches to improved governance at the UN.
	The UK has identified four areas of governance where we would like to see specific actions taken:
	Accountability—oversight capacity within the UN must be strengthened, and its independence and authority enhanced.
	Professionalism and modernisation—there must be transparent, competence based recruitment throughout the UN system and the introduction of modern human resources practices.
	Efficiency—activity at the UN should be rationalised, modernised and streamlined to reduce duplication and to focus on priority areas.
	Flexibility—in return for the measures mentioned above, the Secretary-General should be provided with the authority and flexibility to manage resources and to redeploy them according to need.
	In addition, we want to see a Security Council that reflects today's world and the contributions of the UN's members to its objectives. The UK therefore supports the expansion of both the permanent and non-permanent membership.

United Nations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2005, reference 10415, how much has been paid to the UK Government to date by the United Nations Compensation Committee for distribution to claimants; how much more is expected to be paid to the UK Government in due course for disbursement to claimants; and if he will list (a) all UK claimants who have so far received disbursements from the UK Government and the amount received by each and (b) all UK claimants who will receive disbursements in due course from the UK Government and the amount each of them will receive.

Kim Howells: To date the United Nations Compensation Committee (UNCC) has made available the sum of US$ 296,323,049.57 to the UK Government for payment to UK claimants.
	The sum of US$ 132,228,811.11 in compensation awards remains to be received by the UK Government from the UNCC for payment to UK claimants.
	Nearly 5,000 UK claimants have so far received disbursements of varying amounts from the UK Government.
	Approximately 50 UK claims remain to be paid in full or in part.
	To release the list of all UK claimants would require permission from each individual for their information to be released, therefore it is not possible to give such a listing without incurring disproportionate cost.

Visas

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for a family visitor visa were refused by UK entry clearance officers worldwide in each month since 1 January 2004.

Kim Howells: I would like to apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in replying.
	The information on applications for family visitors' visas that were refused world- wide since 1 January 2004, is as follows:
	
		
			  Received Refused Refusal Rate 
		
		
			 January 2004 18,289 5,121 28.0 
			 February 2004 19,778 4,867 24.6 
			 March 2004 33,625 7,504 22.3 
			 April 2004 38,779 7,770 20.0 
			 May 2004 42,085 9,384 22.3 
			 June 2004 51,961 14,305 27.5 
			 July 2004 47,304 12,095 25.6 
			 August 2004 38,232 10,589 27.7 
			 September 2004 30,904 10,092 32.7 
			 October 2004 27,900 10,124 36.3 
			 November 2004 30,545 14,180 46.4 
			 December 2004 32,070 15,022 46.8 
			 January 2005 23,974 14,339 59.8 
			 February 2005 26,403 10,759 40.7 
			 March 2005 36,544 11,761 32.2 
			 Total 498,393 157,912 31.7 
		
	
	Figures for April 2005 to July 2005 are not yet available.
	Though every effort is made to ensure that statistics are correct, the complexity of UKvisas' global business, including technical failures and inconsistencies in data means that one hundred percent accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Working Holidaymakers Scheme

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications have been received under the working holidaymakers scheme since 25 August 2003 from (a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Sri Lanka, (d) Nigeria, (e) Ghana, (f) Sierra Leone and (g) Jamaica; and how many of these were (i) refused, (ii) granted and (iii) appealed against.

Kim Howells: The information on applications received under the working holiday makers scheme for the countries requested, is as follows:
	
		
			  1 April 2003 -31 March 2004 
			 Working holiday maker applications Received Refused Granted 
		
		
			 India 7,665 4,106 1,218 
			 Pakistan 14 0 47 
			 Sri Lanka 4,534 3,510 962 
			 Nigeria 120 73 47 
			 Ghana 2,367 712 1,532 
			 Sierra Leone 4 2 1 
			 Jamaica 481 187 301 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide figures for the exact date range requested. The figures supplied represent applications received in the financial year 2003–04. In addition, monthly return statistics for appeals for this period are not available specifically for the working holiday maker category. They are only available for generic categories: non-settlement, settlement and family visit.
	The total number of applications issued and refused may not always equal the total of applications received. This can be caused by a variety of reasons. Applications can be carried forward from one year to another before being resolved. They may be withdrawn during processing, but still count as an application received. In these circumstances, delays can and do occur between the application being received and the decision being taken.
	The statistics provided are publicly available on the UKvisas website, www.ukvisas.gov.uk. UKvisas is the department responsible for entry clearance overseas. Figures for April 2004 to March 2005 are not yet available. When they are, they can be found, along with other entry clearance statistics, on the website at www.ukvisas.gov.uk— Entry Clearance: Facts and Figures".

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Arm's-length Management

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the arm's length management organisations in operation, broken down by date of creation; and what sums have been paid by the Government to date.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested about the arm's length management organisations (ALMOs) which are currently in operation is in the following table:
	
		
			 Local authority Arm's Length Management Organisation Date of s.27 approval(97) ALMO funding to 2004–05 (£ million) 
		
		
			 Ashfield Ashfield Homes March 2002 46.0 
			 Blyth Valley Blyth Valley Housing March 2002 16.3 
			 Derby Derby Homes March 2002 78.3 
			 Hounslow Hounslow Homes March 2002 70.0 
			 Kirklees Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing March 2002 90.4 
			 Oldham First Choice Homes March 2002 36.0 
			 Rochdale Rochdale Boroughwide Housing March 2002 82.2 
			 Stockton Tristar Homes March 2002 63.0 
			 Westminster CityWest Homes March 2002 47.9 
			 Wigan Wigan and Leigh Housing March 2002 97.8 
			 Brent Brent Housing Partnership September 2002 36.7 
			 Salford New Prospect Housing September 2002 0.0 
			 Bolton Bolton at Home October 2002 53.0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation October 2002 21.6 
			 Barnsley Berneslai Homes November 2002 48.2 
			 Leeds Leeds East Homes January 2003 6.5 
			 Leeds Leeds North East Homes January 2003 10.5 
			 Leeds Leeds North West Homes January 2003 8.1 
			 Leeds Leeds South East Homes January 2003 8.4 
			 Leeds Leeds South Homes January 2003 12.9 
			 Leeds Leeds West Homes January 2003 18.3 
			 Carrick Carrick Housing March 2003 7.3 
			 Cheltenham Cheltenham Borough Homes March 2003 10.0 
			 Hillingdon Hillingdon Homes April 2003 16.6 
			 Waltham Forest Ascham Homes April 2003 0.0 
			 Colchester Colchester Borough Homes August 2003 13.5 
			 Gateshead Gateshead Housing Company December 2003 0.0 
			 High Peak High Peak Community Housing(98) January 2004 0.0 
			 Solihull Solihull Community Housing January 2004 1.2 
			 South Lakeland South Lakes Housing(98) January 2004 0.0 
			 Warrington Golden Gates Housing January 2004 4.3 
			 Barnet Barnet Homes February 2004 4.0 
			 Easington East Durham Homes March 2004 0.0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham Hammersmith and Fulham Housing Management Services(98) March 2004 0.0 
			 Islington Homes for Islington March 2004 2.9 
			 Newcastle Your Homes Newcastle March 2004 16.0 
			 Poole Poole Housing Partnership March 2004 1.3 
			 Sheffield Sheffield Homes April 2004 25.2 
			 Ealing Ealing Homes August 2004 0.0 
			 Sandwell Sandwell Homes August 2004 0.0 
			 Bassetlaw A1 Housing Bassetlaw September 2004 0.0 
			 Newark and Sherwood Newark and Sherwood Homes October 2004 0.0 
			 Bury Six Town Housing March 2005 0.0 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne Homes March 2005 0.0 
			 Nottingham Nottingham City Homes March 2005 0.0 
			 Rotherham 2010 Rotherham March 2005 0.0 
			   Total 954.2 
		
	
	(97)The dates given are those when the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister gave approval under s.27 of the Housing Act 1985 for the local authority to delegate housing management responsibilities to its ALMO. The ALMO would normally become operational shortly afterwards.
	(98)These ALMOs have been awarded a rating of at least 2 stars by the Housing Inspectorate and have qualified for ALMO funding from 2005–06. The other ALMOs with no recorded expenditure have yet to secure a qualifying rating.

Building Regulations

Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost to business and industry of a change to building regulations requiring seven-foot doors.

Yvette Cooper: There are no proposals, nor has there been any consideration of proposals, to amend the building regulations to require doors to be built to a specific height. No estimate of costs accruing to business and industry has accordingly been made.

Building Regulations

Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the costs to (a) Government and (b) local authorities of amending building regulations to require doors to be built to a specified height.

Yvette Cooper: There are no proposals, nor has there been any consideration of proposals, to amend the building regulations to require doors to be built to a specific height. No estimate of costs accruing to either central or local government has accordingly been made.

Building Regulations

Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of (a) the number of staff required and (b) the cost of building inspectors to check whether doorways have been built to the height specified in regulations; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: There are no proposals, nor has there been any consideration of proposals, to amend the building regulations to require doors to be built to a specific height. No estimate of staff numbers or cost of compliance inspections has accordingly been made.

Childhood Cancer

Howard Stoate: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the Draper Report on Childhood cancer in relation to distance from high voltage power lines in England and Wales: a case-control study; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will introduce an immediate moratorium on the building of new homes in the vicinity of high voltage power lines; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will discuss the findings of the Draper Report on Childhood cancer in relation to distance from high voltage power lines in England and Wales: a case-control study with (a) ministerial colleagues in the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health and (b) the National Grid and power suppliers; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister takes advice from the Department of Health who consider the implications of medical research projects.
	The Department of Health have advised the recent publication in the British Medical Journal by Dr Draper and colleagues found a statistically increased incidence of leukaemia for children whose home address at birth was near power lines compared with those further away. The work was funded by the Department of Health and has significantly added to the body of knowledge built up over the last few years regarding this very important subject. The work will continue with an investigation of the electromagnetic field (EMF) exposures at the addresses studied.
	The World Health Organization and indeed the Health Protection Agency have recommended additional research and the need for further precautionary measures to be considered.
	The stakeholder advisory group on electromagnetic ELF fields (SAGE) set up last year has already enabled Government officials to engage in detailed discussions with industry, regulators, professional bodies and interest groups about how to respond to this complex issue. The intention of the process is to offer carefully considered practical recommendations in the interests of society as a whole. Information about this process can be found at: www.rkpartnership.co.uk/sage

Civil Service

Paul Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the work of the Sustainable Procurement Task Force is to be guided by the recommendations of the Gershon Review.

Elliot Morley: The work of the Sustainable Procurement Task Force will take into account the recommendations of the Gershon Review.
	The Task Force has been established under the chairmanship of Sir Neville Simms and is charged with the task of developing a national action plan for sustainable procurement by April 2006.

Consultants

Clive Betts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many consultants have been employed to advise on the Best Practice Guidance for Tourism; who they are; what their brief was; what the cost of the contracts was; and for what reasons the contracts were terminated.

Yvette Cooper: Land Use Consultants were awarded a contract in January 2004 to produce good practice guidance for planning and tourism. The contract comprised three core objectives: to identify and recommend the scope of good practice guidance; to identify and articulate good practice in a variety of contexts; and to draft the guidance. The fixed price for the contract, had all the work been undertaken by Land Use Consultants, was £93,255 excluding VAT. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Land Use Consultants agreed in early 2005 that it would be better, given the level of planning policy expertise resting within ODPM, for some of the work to be completed in-house. Around 40 per cent. of the total contract price was paid to Land Use Consultants.

Council Housing

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants since May 1979.

Yvette Cooper: The specific information requested is not available. Since its introduction in 1980 there have been almost 1.660 million sales of council dwellings in England under the right to buy scheme up to the end of 2003–04.

Council Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reason councils opting to retain council housing stock have to prepare a 30-year financial forecast; and what assistance the Government provides in preparation of such plans.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities have since April 2001 been required to produce a 30 year financial model at least every three years, as part of the HRA business planning process. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister provides a standard financial model for use in this process, which can also be used to help deliver a financial model for the stock options appraisal if it is required.
	Housing is a long life asset. If optimum benefit is to be derived from housing properties it is therefore essential that management decisions are taken with due regard to their long-term implications. The true outcome of choices made in the short term can often only be properly assessed with reference to their impact in the long term. If resource allocation decisions are to be soundly based it is important to evaluate available options over a period that captures all the associated effects.
	We would expect local authorities that retain ownership and management of their stock to put a business plan in place that takes a long term view and Government Offices may want to use such information to track progress in delivering decent homes.

Council Tax

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister howmuch council tax was uncollected within the Southend local authority in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by council tax band.

Phil Woolas: Details of how much council tax was uncollected within the Southend local authority in each of the last five years are published on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website and can be found under the heading Information For Taxpayers—Council Tax Collection Rates" at: http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/ct.htm.
	It is not possible to provide the data broken down by council tax band as the data are not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax

James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the council tax revaluation on Cambridgeshire.

Phil Woolas: The terms of reference for the independent inquiry into local government funding by Sir Michael Lyons require him to make recommendations on how best to reform council tax, taking into account the forthcoming revaluation of domestic property. His report is due to be submitted by the end of the year to my right hon. Friends the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sir Michael's work will inform the Government's decisions on council tax bands.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has accordingly made no assessment of the likely impact of revaluation on Cambridgeshire.

Council Wardens

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effects of council wardens and police working together in Lancashire.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Joined up working has significant benefits as part of the plural policing agenda in Lancashire. The wardens contribution towards this is typically assisting with environmental improvements, such as litter, graffiti, dog fouling and housing management; tackling antisocial behaviour, building community pride and cohesion and providing a link between local residents, and key agencies like local authorities and Fire & Rescue Services. This level of involvement frees up the police to concentrate on the more serious crimes.

Empty Homes

James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many empty homes there are in (a) South Cambridgeshire and (b) East Cambridgeshire.

Yvette Cooper: The total number of vacant dwellings at 1 April 2004 in: (a) South Cambridgeshire is 1,884; and (b) East Cambridgeshire is 451. These are the latest figures available from a combination of the ODPM's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return and Housing Corporation's Regulatory and Statistical Return.

Fire Service

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many attacks have been recorded on members of fire crews in (a) Essex and (b) the Metropolitan police area of London in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Annual returns have been required from Fire and Rescue Authorities only since 2004. London have not reported any such incidents for this period. I refer the hon. Member to the reply to his previous question on 7 July 2005, Official Report, column 558W, with regards to Essex.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what trials will be carried out on mobile data terminals in connection with the proposed regionalisation of fire control centres.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No formal trials of mobile data terminals are proposed, since many Fire and Rescue Services already use mobile data terminals. However, all the equipment required to operate the new control centres will be subject to a rigorous and extensive testing regime, which will be negotiated as part of the supply agreement.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the time scale is for announcing the location of the Regional Fire Control Headquarters.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We hope to make an announcement on the location of the new fire control centres soon. They are not planned as headquarters".

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions have taken place in his Department on merging county fire brigades.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government is encouraging and assisting Fire and Rescue Authorities to work together through Regional Management Boards in order to improve their efficiency effectiveness in maintaining and improving public safety. In the course of these discussions, some Fire and Rescue Authorities have sought advice on how they could undertake a voluntary merger, should they wish to do so.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the expected change will be in response times for fire emergencies following the proposed regionalisation of fire control centres.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 2088W to the hon. Member for Gosport (Peter Viggers).

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how areas where there is no radio signal will be administered under the Government proposals to regionalise fire control centres; and what percentage of the total area is involved.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Wide area radio coverage will be provided in accordance with the user requirement as defined in the Firelink contract. This has been agreed with the operational user community both at strategic and technical level.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the costs are of (a) dismantling the present fire control system and (b) establishing the regionalised fire control system.

Jim Fitzpatrick: All the costs involved in setting up the new Fire Control Centres are set out in the FiReControl Outline Business Case, which is available on www.firecontrol.odpm.gsi.gov.uk. This business case is in the process of being updated and a new version will be available later in the year.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the role of the Fire Training College at Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire will be under the proposed regionalised fire control arrangements.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The introduction of a national network of control centres will not affect the role of the Fire Service College.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the training strategy will be under the proposed regionalisation of fire control centres; and whether this will involve developing more regional training structures.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The recent invitation to submit outline proposals (ISOP) for infrastructure services, including training, for the new control centres sought proposals from bidders to inform the development of the strategy. There are no proposals to develop additional regional training facilities. Regional Management Boards (RMBs) have a responsibility to promote better use of existing training facilities.

Fire Service

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many fire stations have closed since January 2000.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The available information from annual returns submitted by fire and rescue services in England shows that between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2004, the following fire stations have either closed, or closed and merged to form new fire stations:
	
		Closed fire stations
		
			 Fire and Rescue Service Stations 
		
		
			 Hampshire Titchfield 
			  Twyford 
		
	
	
		Closed and merged
		
			 Fire and Rescue Service Stations New station 
		
		
			 West Yorkshire Bramley Stanningley 
			  Pudsey  
			
			 Lancashire Accrington Hyndburn 
			  Oswaldtwistle  
		
	
	Source:
	ODPM Performance and Management information database.
	Information for the year ending 31 March 2005 is currently being collected from fire and rescue services, but a full return for 2004–05 is not yet available.
	However, the closure of the Manchester Square fire station in London W1 was announced by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority on 7 June 2005.

Green Belt

James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many hectares of undeveloped green belt there were in Cambridgeshire in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  what proportion of Cambridgeshire comprised undeveloped green belt in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: In 1997, the extent of designated green belt in Cambridgeshire amounted to 26,690 hectares of which 430 hectares are estimated to be built-up land. Therefore, undeveloped green belt land in Cambridgeshire in 1997 was around 26,260 hectares, 9 per cent. of the total land area of Cambridgeshire. The extent of green belt in 2003 remained the same as in 1997, over the period an estimated 32 hectares of Greenfield land, within the designated green belt in Cambridgeshire has been developed.
	Data on the extent of designated green belt in each local authority area in England in 1997 and 2003 were published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 16 September 2004. Copies are available in the Library of the House. The publication is also available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website at www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_planning/documents/page/odpm_plan_031125.hcsp

Homeless Households

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homeless households in the Southend, West constituency have been resident in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in each year since 2000; and what percentage of them claimed benefit in each year.

Yvette Cooper: Information on statutory homelessness is not collected at constituency level, only at local authority level. Information reported by Southend on Sea borough council about the number of households in bed and breakfast style accommodation as at 31 March of each year since 2000 is tabled as follows. Also included are comparable data on the number of households in all forms of temporary accommodation.
	The number of these households claiming, or in receipt of, housing or social security benefits is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		Households in bed and breakfast, and in all forms of temporary accommodation, secured by Southend on Sea borough council(99)
		
			  Bed and breakfast as at 31 March All forms of temporary accommodation as at 31 March 
			  Total of which: Families(100) Total of which: Families(100) 
		
		
			 2000 21 n/a 105 n/a 
			 2001 50 n/a 161 n/a 
			 2002 24 21 121 110 
			 2003 69 41 175 132 
			 2004 16 0 228 165 
			 2005 13 0 207 168 
		
	
	n/a denotes not available; data collected from March 2002 onwards
	(99)Bed and breakfast-style accommodation (involving shared-use of bathroom and/or kitchen facilities) arranged by the local authority pending inquiries, or after being accepted, under homelessness legislation.
	(100)Families are households with dependent children or an expectant mother.
	Source:
	ODPM P1E homelessness returns (quarterly).

Homeless Households

James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many households in (a) South Cambridgeshire and (b) East Cambridgeshire were accepted as homeless in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: A summary of information reported by South Cambridgeshire and East Cambridgeshire district councils about the number of households accepted under homelessness legislation as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, in each year since 1997–98 is tabled as follows:
	
		Households accepted as homeless(101)in East Cambridgeshire and South Cambridgeshire district councils
		
			  East Cambridgeshire South Cambridgeshire 
			  Total Rate per 1,000 households(102) Total Rate per 1,000 households(102) 
		
		
			 1997–98 92 3.3 80 1.5 
			 1998–99 167 5.6 67 1.3 
			 1999–2000 180 6.0 85 1.6 
			 2000–01 208 6.7 125 2.3 
			 2001–02 207 6.9 148 2.8 
			 2002–03 150 4.8 103 1.9 
			 2003–04 185 5.8 129 2.4 
			 2004–05 192 6.0 116 2.1 
		
	
	(101)Households found to be eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and falling within a priority need group, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty by the local authority.
	(102)Based on mid-year estimates of household population.
	Source:
	ODPM P1E homelessness returns (quarterly)

Housebuilding (Wellingborough)

Peter Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of houses to be built in Wellingborough constituency in each of the next 20 years.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy published on 17 March 2005 gives figures for housing provision for each local authority area, for each of the five year phases over the period 2001–21. For the local authority areas relevant to your constituency the annual average rates are tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Local authority area 
			  Wellingborough East Northants 
		
		
			 2001–06 595 520 
			 2006–11 595 520 
			 2011–16 685 420 
			 2016–21 685 420

Housing

John Hemming: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the estimated shortfall or surplus of low-cost housing for rent was in each local housing authority area on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many such housing units there were in each housing authority area on that date.

Yvette Cooper: Information in the format requested is not available centrally. However information on the number of dwellings available for rent owned by local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs) on 1 April 2004 is given on a table that has been placed in the Library of the House. These data have been taken from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return and the Housing Corporation's Regulatory and Statistical Return. The table also shows the number of households on the housing register and the number of vacant dwellings. Local authorities that have common housing registers with RSLs in their area are indicated on the table.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to end the use of the private finance initiative as a method of achieving the Decent Homes Standard; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Use of the private finance initiative (PFI) will remain an option for local authorities seeking additional funding to achieve the Decent Homes Standard.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to pay the consultancy fees for councils that have not yet submitted stock options.

Yvette Cooper: No.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many stock transfers of council housing to registered social landlords his task force has overseen since 1999.

Yvette Cooper: The Community Housing Task Force was established is May 2001 and has been available to advise all 59 housing transfers that have taken place since that date.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much per household per week was transferred out of the housing revenue account of each Yorkshire and Humberside local authority in cross-subsidisation in the last year for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The weekly per-dwelling figures for those authorities in positive and negative subsidy in the Yorkshire and Humberside region are given in the following table. These figures are taken from the latest data available for 2004–05 as provided by the authorities on their subsidy claim forms.
	
		£
		
			 Authority Positive HRA subsidy entitlement Negative HRA subsidy entitlement 
		
		
			 Barnsley 0.76 — 
			 City of York — 11.71 
			 Doncaster — 2.27 
			 East Riding — 13.31 
			 Harrogate — 10.51 
			 Kingston upon Hull 0.15 — 
			 Kirklees 5.30 — 
			 Leeds — 0.52 
			 North East Linconshire — 1.17 
			 North Lincolnshire — 3.23 
			 Richmondshire — 10.52 
			 Rotherham — 4.37 
			 Scarborough 0.13 — 
			 Selby — 14.75 
			 Sheffield 4.70 — 
			 Wakefield — 8.35 
		
	
	The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Subsidy regime is based, in part, on the assumed income and expenditure for each authority. Those authorities with a notional income greater than their notional expenditure are negative subsidy authorities. Their subsidy surplus is pooled centrally and redistributed to deficit authorities. This redistribution occurs at a national, rather than regional level.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2005, Official Report, columns 962–63W, on the Decent Homes Standard, what performance rating was achieved by (a) Waltham Forest, (b) Stockton and (c) Stockport; and what the funding implications are in each case.

Yvette Cooper: ALMOs must secure at least a two star rating, on a scale of zero to three stars, to qualify for additional Government funding. The ratings and funding implications for the ALMOs tabled as follows, are:
	
		
			 Local authority and ALMO Audit Commission rating Funding implications 
		
		
			 (a) Waltham Forest-Ascham Homes April 2004: one star Conditional funding offer of 28. 2 million for 2003–04 and 2004–05 has lapsed. Further bid not accepted in June 2005. No longer on the ALMO programme. 
			  October 2002: two stars  The one star rating in May 2005 has no funding implications since Tristar 
			 (b) Stockton-Tristar Homes   Homes had already used its total allocation of £63 million in 2002–03, 
			  May 2005: one star  2003–04 and 2004–05 before the reduction in the star rating took place. 
			
			 (c) Stockport -Stockport Homes First ALMO Inspection due in June 2006 Conditional funding of £40.36 million for 2006–07 and 2007–08 announced in June 2005.

Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if the Government will ensure that the full results of the research on the environmental implications of increasing housing supply are made available at the same time as they publish their proposals to revise national planning policy guidance on housing for consultation;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the implications of releasing extra land for housing in line with Kate Barker's recommendations five and nine for (a) urban regeneration and (b) the Government's target for 60 per cent. of housing development to go on previously developed sites;
	(3)  when the Government plans to publish the results of the research it commissioned on the implications of a significant increase in housebuilding for the environment and other sustainable development considerations.

Yvette Cooper: In addressing the specific recommendations in Kate Barker's report we will adopt the same principles as set out in the Sustainable Communities Plan. The Government have accepted her central recommendation that there should be a step change in housing supply and has announced their intention to respond to her recommendations by the end of 2005.
	In order to inform the response, we have commissioned two closely-related research projects. The first analyses the relationship between housebuilding and affordability. The second, jointly commissioned with DEFRA, looks at the implications of various levels of additional housebuilding for sustainable communities. It considers a broad range of impacts, including land use as well as social, environmental, economic and fiscal impacts.
	The research is still being finalised and, in order to ensure that the findings are robust and credible, the research will be subject to peer review before publication later this year.

Housing

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the Housing Corporation committed towards the provision of affordable housing for each district area in West Sussex in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: The funding provided via the housing corporation for each district area in West Sussex for the past five years is detailed in the table.
	
		£ million
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Adur 2.491 0.597 1.339 2.094 0.802 
			 Arun 0.562 2.710 4.912 6.046 2.642 
			 Chichester 3.940 3.795 4.355 8.128 2.206 
			 Crawley 0.897 1.071 3.549 4.619 2.236 
			 Horsham 0.472 3.805 7.175 6.190 6.454 
			 Mid Sussex 1.667 2.196 2.285 7.697 3.441 
			 Worthing 3.506 4.727 2.472 4.399 2.125 
			 West Sussex Total 13.535 18.901 26.087 39.173 19.906

Housing

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much of the Housing Corporation's affordable housing programme he expects to be committed to help provide affordable housing in the Mid Sussex district over the next three years; and how much the Government intends to commit to the provision of affordable housing in West Sussex in each of the next three years.

Yvette Cooper: Decisions on the overall level of funding for affordable housing in each region in 2006–07 and 2007–08 will be taken over the summer in the light of advice from the regional housing boards. The allocation of these funds across the regions, which will be announced early next year, will reflect advice from the boards and the quantity and value for money of bids to the housing corporation. Provision from 2008–09 will be dependent of the outcome of the next spending review in 2006.

Housing

Andrew Love: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate has been made of the (a) impact on public expenditure of and (b) likely timescale for bringing remaining local authority housing up to the decent homes standard whilst retaining ownership and management by the local authority; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has set a target to bring all social housing up to the decent homes standard by 2010. Local authorities can opt to retain ownership and direct management of their stock if they can afford to meet the target through the resources currently available to them.

Housing

Owen Paterson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many new housing developments have been approved in North Shropshire in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of planning applications for new housing developments in North Shropshire granted by the local authority in the last five years are:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2000–01 146 
			 2001–02 125 
			 2002–03 155 
			 2003–04 150 
			 2004–05 146

Housing

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homes have been built in the North East Milton Keynes constituency in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister collects housebuilding data only at local authority level so there are no figures available for the constituency of North East Milton Keynes. The annual numbers of new build completions reported for Milton Keynes local authority since 2000–01 are tabled as follows.
	
		
			  New-build completions 
		
		
			 2000–01 1,475 
			 2001–02 1,246 
			 2002–03 1,239 
			 2003–04 (103)1,074 
			 2004–05 1,064 
		
	
	(103)Missing June 2003 quarter P2 return from Milton Keynes.
	Source:
	Returns (P2/NHBC) to ODPM on building control completions

Housing

Michael Meacher: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what appointments were made to lead bodies providing services related to housing provision for which he is responsible in each year since 1997; and what their (a) role, (b) pay, (c) length of tenure at appointment and (d) previous experience in the (i) public sector and (ii) private sector was in each case.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, some of the information requested can be found in the Annual Reports of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and in the Cabinet Office's annual publication Public Bodies", which will be available shortly on the Public Bodies website.

Housing

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many and what percentage of (a) one-parent families and (b) two-parent families have been living in (i) private rented housing, (ii) local authority housing, (iii) owner-occupied housing with a mortgage, (iv) owner-occupied housing owned outright, (v) shared accommodation and (vi) housing association accommodation in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Estimates of the numbers of households by housing tenure from 1997 to 2004 are set out for two types of household: (a) lone parents with dependent children and (b) couples with dependent children. Tables showing the equivalent percentages are also included.
	
		Table 1: Lone parents with dependent children, number of households by tenure -- thousands
		
			  Housing tenure 
			  Owner occupiers Social renters 
			  Owned outright Buying with a mortgage Shared Ownership Council Housing Association Private renters Total 
		
		
			 1997 65 357 6 489 154 191 1,262 
			 1998 85 361 9 514 168 207 1,344 
			 1999 80 377 11 525 176 184 1,353 
			 2000 89 373 7 477 182 197 1,325 
			 2001 88 374 7 476 213 190 1,348 
			 2002 82 415 6 480 243 215 1,441 
			 2003 89 433 4 456 230 227 1,440 
			 2004 93 429 8 458 252 214 1,454 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Lone parents with dependent children, percentage of households by tenure
		
			  Housing tenure 
			  Owner occupiers Social renters 
			  Owned outright Buying with a mortgage Shared Ownership Council Housing Association Private renters Total 
		
		
			 1997 5 28 1 39 12 15 100 
			 1998 6 27 1 38 12 15 100 
			 1999 6 28 1 39 13 14 100 
			 2000 7 28 1 36 14 15 100 
			 2001 7 28 1 35 16 14 100 
			 2002 6 29 0 33 17 15 100 
			 2003 6 30 0 32 16 16 100 
			 2004 6 29 1 32 17 15 100 
		
	
	
		Table 3: Couples with dependent children, number of households by tenure -- thousands
		
			  Housing tenure 
			  Owner occupiers Social renters 
			  Owned outright Buying with a mortgage Shared ownership Council Housing Association Private renters Total 
		
		
			 1997 310 3,349 19 550 152 311 4,691 
			 1998 326 3,327 24 522 148 311 4,642 
			 1999 325 3,356 21 513 145 305 4,665 
			 2000 334 3,369 19 478 179 285 4,663 
			 2001 344 3,323 19 469 183 312 4,651 
			 2002 372 3,278 18 419 186 304 4,576 
			 2003 366 3,275 16 348 195 310 4,509 
			 2004 389 3,273 21 351 187 325 4,545 
		
	
	
		Table 4: Couples with dependent children, percentage of households by tenure
		
			  Housing tenure 
			  Owner occupiers Social renters 
			  Owned outright Buying with a mortgage Shared ownership Council Housing Association Private renters Total 
		
		
			 1997 7 71 0 12 3 7 100 
			 1998 7 71 1 11 3 7 100 
			 1999 7 72 0 11 3 7 100 
			 2000 7 72 0 10 4 6 100 
			 2001 7 71 0 10 4 7 100 
			 2002 8 72 0 9 4 7 100 
			 2003 8 73 0 8 4 7 100 
			 2004 9 72 0 8 4 7 100 
		
	
	Source:
	Labour Force Survey
	Note that the number of social renters in council-owned accommodation may be an over-estimate; conversely the number of households in accommodation provided by housing associations may be an under-estimate. This is as a result of the ongoing transfer of council-owned stock to housing associations. It has been noted (in the 2001 census and in most household surveys—including the labour force survey) that households living in dwellings where there has been a change of ownership have a tendency to continue to report that they rent from the council rather than a housing association for some time after the transfer.

Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the local authorities in the South-East (a) whose housing waiting list is open to applicants who live and work in the area and (b) that operate a closed list available only to applicants with a direct local connection.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold the information requested, and in any event it is not lawful for a local authority to maintain a closed" waiting list. This is because changes to the allocation legislation (Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996) introduced by the Homelessness Act 2002 removed the power for local authorities to implement blanket exclusions of certain categories of applicant. All applicants are eligible for an allocation of accommodation, with the exception of certain persons from abroad, and those whom the authority decide to treat as ineligible as a result of serious unacceptable behaviour. However, local authorities may take into account any local connection which exists between the applicant and the local authority district in determining priority for an allocation.

Key Worker Living Initiative

Mark Hoban: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions his Department has had with local councils on how many homes should be built in a borough under the Key Worker Living Initiative.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not had any detailed discussions with individual local authorities on how many homes should be built under the Key Worker Living Initiative.
	Decisions on funding are taken in light of evidence from regional housing boards and the quality and value for money of the bids submitted by registered social landlords. Local authorities are involved in the process of drawing up regional housing strategies which underpin the advice from regional housing boards.

Lyons Review

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list documents (a) the Department and (b) the Valuation Office Agency has provided to the Lyons Review.

Phil Woolas: As my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) explained in his answer to the hon. Member on 14 March 2005, Official Report, column 1499W, Sir Michael Lyons intends to make available the evidence that underpins his conclusions and recommendations once the report is published.

Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people in Milton Keynes are classified as homeless.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly and is in respect of households rather than persons. The number of households accepted by Milton Keynes Unitary Authority as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need during 2004–05, and the number of households in temporary accommodation arranged by the authority under homelessness legislation as at 31 March 2005 is in the following table.
	The duty owed to a person accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available. As an alternative to the provision of temporary accommodation some authorities arrange for households to remain in their current accommodation (homeless at home) until a settled solution becomes available.
	Information is also collected on the number of people who sleep rough—that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night—and these are also presented in the following table.
	
		
			 Milton Keynes UA Number 
		
		
			 Households accepted(104)as owed a main duty during 2004–05 705 
			 Households in temporary accommodation(105)on 31 March  2005 849 
			 Rough sleepers 2004(106)(number of persons) 0 
		
	
	(104)Households eligible under homelessness legislation, found to be unintentionally homeless and in a priority need category, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty between April 2004 and March 2005.
	(105)Households in accommodation either pending a decision on their homelessness application or awaiting re-allocation of a settled home following acceptance. Excludes those households designated as homeless at home" that have remained in their existing accommodation and have the same rights to suitable alternative accommodation as those in accommodation arranged by the authority.
	(106)June 2004 estimates.
	Source:
	ODPM P1E Homelessness returns (quarterly) and Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (annual) (for Rough Sleepers data)

Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding Milton Keynes Unitary Authority has received from all Government sources over the past 10 years in (a) nominal and (b) real terms.

Phil Woolas: The funding Milton Keynes Unitary Authority has received from all Government sources since the authority was created in 1997–98 in both nominal and real terms, is shown in the following table.
	
		£000
		
			  Nominal Real terms 
		
		
			 1997–98 119,781 140,629 
			 1998–99 126,392 144,638 
			 1999–2000 137,519 154,335 
			 2000–01 145,020 160,650 
			 2001–02 162,228 175,382 
			 2002–03 164,663 172,530 
			 2003–04 191,871 195,879 
			 2004–05 239,018 239,018 
			 2005–06 229,852 224,244 
		
	
	The data are as reported by the local authority and are taken from the Revenue Outturn (RO) and the Capital Outturn forms for 1997–98 to 2003–04, the Revenue Account (RA) budget form for 2004–05 and 2005–06, Capital Provisional Outturn (CPR4) form for 2004–05 and the Capital Estimates Return (CER) form for 2005–06.
	The revenue grants included are special and specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance, revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates.
	The data for capital funding show resources used during that particular year funded by capital grants from central Government Departments; the revenue grants are shown in the year in which they are paid.
	Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities.
	The real terms figures have been revalued for previous years at 2004–05 prices using the GDP deflator.

Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) consultation and (b) advisory documents were sent to parish councils in the North East Milton Keynes constituency by his Department in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 2093W.

OFTEC Scheme

Janet Anderson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will make an assessment of the (a) effectiveness and (b) coverage of the OFTEC scheme;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the proportion of oil-fired heating installers which are covered by the OFTEC scheme.

Yvette Cooper: The effectiveness of the competent person scheme operated by the Oil Firing Technical Association for the Petroleum Industry Ltd. (OFTEC) in England and Wales was considered in a formal review in 2003. This concluded that it had achieved a higher level of building regulations compliance than would otherwise have been the case and had helped to raise installation standards. Since that time the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has kept OFTEC under informal review and believes that these conclusions remain valid.
	Since it was established in April 2002, coverage of the OFTEC scheme has grown steadily: the number of oil installers and servicers now stands at 7,500 registered technicians in the UK, of whom 5,600 are in England, an increase of 400 since January, compared with fewer than 3,000 registered technicians in April 2003 when the scheme was reviewed.
	Precise figures for the number of oil installers and services are not available but OFTEC estimate that there are approximately 10,000 in the UK, of whom 6–7,000 are in England and Wales.

Planning

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the timetable is for the revision of the departmental circular on planning obligations.

Yvette Cooper: The Government published a new circular on planning obligations on 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 44WS. To complement the circular a standard section 106 agreement and a good practice guide will also be published later in 2005.

Planning

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he offers to local authorities on the procedures for dealing with retrospective planning applications; how many retrospective applications were received by each local authority in the last year for which figures are available; how many of these were subsequently (a) successful and (b) withdrawn; and in how many cases enforcement action was taken.

Yvette Cooper: Guidance to local authorities on dealing with retrospective planning applications is given in Planning Policy Guidance Note 18 [PPG18] Enforcing Planning Control" and Enforcing Planning Control: Good Practice Guide for Local Planning Authorities", which are available from the Stationery Office [ISBN 0–11–752554–5/ISBN 0–11–753405–6 respectively]. PPG18 is also available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website at www.odpm.gov.uk
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not record statistics on the number of retrospective planning applications received by each local authority in the last year. However, a one-off survey carried out in 1999 showed that just over 3 per cent. of all applications to district planning authorities and county councils for planning permission were applied for retrospectively. The success rate for retrospective applications was 85 per cent. as against 88 per cent. overall. Subsequent enforcement action was taken in around half of all retrospective refusals.

Planning

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the organisations and individuals who have requested that Application COL/05/0964 to construct a visual arts building at Colchester be called in to be determined by a public inquiry.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The release of this information, without the prior agreements of the organisations and individuals, is likely to breach the data protection principles set out in the Data Protection Act 1998.

Planning

Roger Berry: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made in (a) establishing mechanisms for funding for access groups in England and Wales and (b) identifying suitable disability organisations to administer this funding in relation to implementation of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 11 July 2005
	Section 115 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 provides the legal mechanism for funding access groups in England and Wales. In accepting an amendment with this effect in March 2004, the Noble Lord Rooker made it clear that the Government had not set aside funds for assisting such groups. There has been no change to this position.

Planning

Anthony Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average time taken to arrange a site visit by a representative of the Planning Inspectorate in cases of appeal against a planning decision by the local authority was in 2004–05; how long he estimates the time taken to arrange a site visit to 7 and 8 Fore Street, Salcombe, Devon will be; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The average time taken to arrange a site visit by a representative of the Planning Inspectorate in appeal against a planning decision by the local authority for this financial year is 12 weeks. This compares to 23 weeks for the last financial year. It is estimated that a site visit to 7 and 8 Fore Street, Salcombe, Devon will be conducted in the week commencing 25 July 2005.

Planning

Michael Spicer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether it is his policy to call in all planning appeals with respect to applications by Travellers to settle on land they have bought; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The First Secretary of State's policy on calling in planning applications is set out in the parliamentary reply given by the then Planning Minister my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Central to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Heeley on 16 June 1999, Official Report, column 138).
	Most planning appeals are transferred to the Planning Inspectorate for Inspectors to decide on behalf of the Secretary of State. However, some planning appeals are recovered for decision by the Secretary of State. My right hon. Friend's policy and guidelines for recovering cases is set out in a parliamentary reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon by the then Planning Minister my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on 25 July 2000, Official Report, column 594W).

Planning

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether dormant companies may make applications for planning permission.

Yvette Cooper: Any individual or organisation can apply for planning permission. Applications are decided in the light of policies in the local development plan, and other material considerations. An applicant's identity will generally not be relevant.

Regional Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the referendum results were for the two questions asked in the north east regional assembly referendum in each local authority area in the north east.

Yvette Cooper: The full results of the two questions asked in the referendum on the establishment of an elected regional assembly in the north east are available on the Electoral Commission website http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/election- data/index.cfm?epage =q&frmElectionID=4.

Regional Housing Board

Joan Walley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the funding allocations for local authorities in the West Midlands from the Regional Housing Board were for 2004–05 and 2005–06.

Yvette Cooper: The allocations from regional housing pot funds made to West Midlands authorities, which were in line with recommendations from the West Midlands Housing Board, were:
	
		£k
		
			  2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Birmingham 34,295.200 35,082.000 
			 Bridgnorth 479.700 481.000 
			 Bromsgrove 614.000 542.000 
			 Cannock Chase 845.351 818.000 
			 Coventry 5,023.000 5,131.000 
			 Dudley 3,165.000 3,212.000 
			 East Staffordshire 986.000 984.000 
			 Herefordshire 2,072.000 2,063.000 
			 Lichfield 557.000 544.000 
			 Malvern Hills 749.000 748.000 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 1,066.000 1,067.000 
			 North Shropshire 645.000 647.000 
			 North Warwickshire 531.000 545.000 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 1,149.000 1,180.000 
			 Oswestry 417.000 418.000 
			 Redditch 586.000 603.000 
			 Rugby 853.000 855.000 
			 Sandwell 6,929.800 7,837.000 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham 849.000 850.000 
			 Solihull 1,388.000 1,343.000 
			 South Shropshire 535.000 534.000 
			 South Staffordshire 538.000 538.000 
			 Stafford 987.000 992.000 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 833.000 832.000 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 5,344.167 5,344.000 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 937.000 935.000 
			 Tamworth 599.000 614.000 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1,141.600 1,067.000 
			 Walsall 3,714.000 3,671.000 
			 Warwick 1,291.000 1,296.000 
			 Wolverhampton 7,394.457 7,472.500 
			 Worcester 1,073.000 962.000 
			 Wychavon 876.000 876.000 
			 Wyre Forest 794.000 797.000 
			 Total 89,257.275 90,880.500 
		
	
	The allocations to some authorities include an element intended to be spent on behalf of the authority and its neighbours.

Regional Plans

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the time scale is for adoption of each (a) regional spatial strategy, (b) county structure plan and (c) local development plan.

Yvette Cooper: The time scale for the revision and adoption of a Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) is outlined under PPS11 as being approximately two years and six months to three years (between 30 to 35 months).
	Similarly under PPS12 the approximate time scale for the development and adoption of a development plan document is up to three years.
	Structure plans under the old system took on average four years to prepare from the publication of the Regional Planning Guidance to the adoption of the structure plan.

Respect

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what responsibilities his Department has for fostering respect.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister contributes to respect across the range of its functions.

Revenue Support Grant

Colin Burgon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much revenue support grant was awarded to Leeds city council in each year since 1995–96.

Phil Woolas: The table shows the amount of formula grant that Leeds city council received in each year since 1995–96. Formula grant consists of the following grants (where appropriate):
	Revenue Support Grant;
	Redistributed Business Rates;
	SSA Reduction Grant (SSA Review); and
	Central Support Protection Grant.
	
		£ million
		
			  Formula grant 
		
		
			 1995–96 406.626093 
			 1996–97 431.478283 
			 1997–98 417.375527 
			 1998–99 439.900130 
			 1999–2000 464.712757 
			 2000–01 481.715430 
			 2001–02 493.596932 
			 2002–03 490.946026 
			 2003–04 537.096546 
			 2004–05 560.273223 
			 2005–06 592.477665 
		
	
	Please note that the above data should not be used for the purpose of calculating year-on-year changes. This is because the data are not comparable year-on-year due to changes in the funding and function of services.

Rough Sleepers

James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent estimate he has made of the number of rough sleepers in Cambridgeshire.

Yvette Cooper: The most recent estimate, as at June 2004, showed there were 508 people sleeping rough in England on any single night. Street counts showed four rough sleepers in Peterborough and three in Cambridge. Other local authorities in Cambridgeshire had not conducted recent street counts. East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire estimated rough sleeper levels of between 0–10 and Fenland did not submit an estimate.

Satellite Dishes

Bill Olner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish the response to the consultation on satellite dishes and other antennae.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been carefully considering the responses to the consultation document on satellite dishes and other antennas in the context of the Government's plans for the rollout of digital television and broadband internet services. We will be announcing the outcome of the review in the autumn.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which registered social landlords (RSLs) who have taken over council housing stock have subsequently been (a) taken over by and (b) merged with other RSLs; and how many homes have been affected in each case.

Yvette Cooper: On 18 May 2005 the First Secretary of State gave his consent under section 133 of the Housing Act 1988, after consulting the Housing Corporation, to the transfer of 2,553 dwellings from Hart Housing Association Ltd. to Oakfern Housing Association Ltd., both of which are members of Sentinel Housing Group Ltd. Residents of Hart Housing Association Ltd. and Oakfern Housing Association Ltd. were consulted about the proposals prior to consent being given.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received no other request by a registered social landlord to transfer the ownership of its housing stock to another registered social landlord.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold details on those registered social landlords that merge as the First Secretary of State's consent is not required.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities in England since May have decided their stock options appraisal in favour of (a) stock transfer, (b) arm's length management organisation, (c) private finance initiative and (d) stock retention by the council; how many homes each authority has; which authorities have yet to advise his Office of their intentions; and how many homes they own in each case.

Yvette Cooper: Since 1 May 2005, 32 local authorities have had their options appraisal signed off.
	Some local authorities have opted for more than one solution for their stock and they are listed separately, with the options they have chosen.
	94 local authorities have yet to have their options appraisal signed off for the whole of their stock, with 40 having been submitted and awaiting sign off.
	Tables detailing this information have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Social Housing

Alan Simpson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much spending has been allocated to improving heating and insulation standards in social housing in each year since 2000, by (a) local authorities and (b) registered social landlords; and if he will express this spending as a percentage of all social landlord expenditure on remedial work to the housing stock.

Yvette Cooper: Data are only available for local authorities and are set out in the following table. The figures show what local authorities have spent/plan to spend on improving heating and insulation.
	Over the period shown in the table, this represents 16 per cent. of all expenditure on remedial works.
	
		Total LA expenditure on central heating and insulation
		
			 Financial year £000 
		
		
			 1999–2000 246,725 
			 2000–01 283,033 
			 2001–02 318,559 
			 2002–03 333,034 
			 2003–04 385,548 
			 2004–05 405,352

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost for each member of the social housing task force was in the last year for which figures are available; what contribution (a) councils considering transfer and (b) the private sector makes to its costs; and what assessment he has made of the effects on the private sector of the task force.

Yvette Cooper: Salaries for members of the Community Housing Task Force are in the range of £39, 728 to £51,646 per annum.
	Neither councils considering transfer nor any other organisation make contributions to the costs of the Community Housing Task Force.
	There has been no assessment of the effects on the private sector of the work of the Community Housing Task Force.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how he proposes to allow tenants of housing associations to buy a share in the property; and whether this right will be extended to tenants of private landlords.

Yvette Cooper: The Government's proposals for a new Social HomeBuy scheme for social tenants were set out in the consultation document HomeBuy—Expanding the Opportunity to Own". Copies of the document are available from the Library of the House. The consultation period closed on 24 June 2005 and we are currently considering the responses.
	The Government have no plans to institute a similar scheme for tenants in the private rented sector.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding has been made available to registered social landlords since performance requirements for gap funding were removed.

Yvette Cooper: None. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister consulted on the arrangements for gap funding prior to their introduction. On introduction there were no qualifying performance requirements for registered social landlords to receive gap funding.

Tamworth Borough Council

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding Tamworth borough council has received from all Government sources over the past 10 years in (a) nominal and (b) real terms.

Phil Woolas: The funding Tamworth borough council has received from all Government sources over the past 10 years in both nominal and real terms, is shown in the following table.
	
		£000
		
			  Nominal Real terms 
		
		
			 1996–97 4,931 5,960 
			 1997–98 4,980 5,847 
			 1998–99 4,590 5,253 
			 1999–2000 4,739 5,319 
			 2000–01 4,803 5,321 
			 2001–02 5,115 5,530 
			 2002–03 5,749 6,024 
			 2003–04 6,312 6,444 
			 2004–05 7,023 7,023 
			 2005–06 6,499 6,340 
		
	
	The data are as reported by the local authority and are taken from the Revenue Outturn (RO) and the Capital Outturn forms for 1996–97 to 2003–04, the Revenue Account (RA) budget form for 2004–05 and 2005–06, Capital Provisional Outturn (CPR4) form for 2004–05 and the Capital Estimates Return (CER) form for 2005–06.
	The revenue grants included are special and specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance, revenue support grant, SSA reduction grant and redistributed non-domestic rates.
	The data for capital funding show resources used during that particular year funded by capital grants from central Government Departments; the revenue grants are shown in the year in which they are paid.
	Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities.
	The real terms figures have been revalued for previous years at 2004–05 prices using the GDP deflator.

Telecommunications Base Stations

David Burrowes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many telecommunication base stations are situated in Enfield, Southgate;
	(2)  how many (a) telecommunication base stations and (b) mobile phone masts have been installed in Enfield, Southgate under permitted development rights since PPG8 became effective.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not heldcentrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, during September and October every year the mobile network operators write to every local authority with details of their network rollout for the year ahead. When they write to the local authority they also provide details of their existing sites within the local authority area. My hon. Friend may want to contact the network operators for copies of their plans.

Telecommunications Masts

David Burrowes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many appeals to the Planning Inspectorate have been made by mobile phone operators since 2002; and how many have been successful.

Yvette Cooper: The following table details the number of planning appeals received, decided and allowed for Telecommunications (including radio/TV-Mast/Aerial/Dish/Antenna).
	
		
			  Received Decided Allowed Percentage 
		
		
			 2002 871 761 517 68 
			 2003 636 705 413 59 
			 2004 738 478 252 53 
			 2005 232 405 226 56 
			 Total 2,477 2,349 1,408 60

Tenants Representation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) councils, (b) registered social landlords and (c) arm's length management organisations have tenants' representation structures.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold data on which local authorities have formal procedures for tenant representation. However, research conducted in 2003 by the Department, Interim Evaluation of Tenant Participation Compacts" (ODPM October 2003), found that all local authorities that manage housing stock have systems in place for tenants' views to be taken into account in decision making processes. A copy of this research is available in the Library of the House.
	Under the regulatory code for Registered Social Landlords, published by the Housing Corporation, Housing Associations must seek and be responsive to residents' views and priorities (Part 2.5 page V)". The methods of achieving this will vary from landlord to landlord. We expect all RSLs which are established as part of a stock transfer to draw approximately one third of their management board from residents.
	All arm's length management organisations have a management board made up of at least one third tenants.

Tourism

Clive Betts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received from industry on the draft Best Practice Guidance for Tourism.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has shared draft good practice guidance with more than 30 stakeholders, including representatives of the tourism industry. Their comments have expressed concern about various matters in the draft including the need better to recognise the contribution that tourism makes to the economy and inadequate sector-specific guidance.
	To meet these concerns and others raised, we are proposing to redraft the guidance. ODPM officials have discussed the scope of the revised draft with the Tourism Review and Implementation Group (TRIG) Planning sub-group which advises the Minister for Tourism about the industry's concerns. We will continue to work with them as we develop the revised draft.

Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements)

Ben Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his plans to update the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992 include making changes to Part IV of these regulations (Areas of Special Control over Advertisements); and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans make changes to Part IV of the Regulations. However, in November 2000, all local planning authorities were asked to undertake a review of Areas of Special Control of Advertisements in their areas in order to satisfy themselves that they remain appropriate and necessary.

Travellers

James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Traveller caravans were on (a) authorised and (b) unauthorised sites in (i) South Cambridgeshire, (ii) East Cambridgeshire, (iii) Cambridgeshire and (iv) England in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is held in the bi-annual count of Gypsy and Traveller caravans and copies are available in the Library of the House.

Unoccupied Dwellings

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of unoccupied dwellings, broken down by local authority area.

Yvette Cooper: Information on the number of vacant dwellings in each local authority in England has been placed in the Library of the House. Figures provided are as at 1 April 2004, the latest year available. The data are produced by combining the reported figures from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return and Housing Corporation's Regulatory and Statistical Return.
	The total number of empty homes for the whole of England is estimated to be about 690,000 for 2004 a drop of 70,000 empty dwellings since 1997. These figures are from the HSSA returns alone and they include estimates for those local authorities who did not supply a figure.

Wind Farms

Peter Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the siting of onshore wind farm developments, with specific reference to Airfield Farm, Podington, Bedfordshire.

Yvette Cooper: National planning policies on the location of renewable energy developments are set out in Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS22) Renewable Energy". PPS22 requires planning authorities to set criteria based policies against which planning applications for renewable energy projects can then be considered.
	Any proposal for a wind farm with an installed capacity of less than 50 MW will require a planning application to be submitted in the first instance to the local planning authority. The local authority will then need to consider the application in light of the policies in the development plan for the area and any other material considerations. As any application may subsequently come before my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister the First Secretary of State for decision, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on this specific proposal.
	Proposals for wind farms with an installed capacity over 50 MW will be considered by the Secretary of State for Energy under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, with the local planning authority being a statutory consultee.

NORTHERN IRELAND

11-plus

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will undertake a technical analysis of the 11-plus transfer test.

Angela Smith: The 11-plus transfer tests are conducted by the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) on behalf of the Department of Education. CCEA commissions an external agency to develop tests. Each year, a technical analysis is undertaken as part of the development of the new tests, with extensive and rigorous testing and analysis to ensure their validity in terms of the elements of the subjects specified for the tests, that they reflect the relevant programmes of study and that the standard is consistent from year to year.

11-plus

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the proposed pupil profile as an alternative to the 11-plus transfer test satisfies minimum recognised standards of reliability and validity.

Angela Smith: The Pupil Profile is not an alternative to the 11-plus transfer tests: its purpose is to provide a holistic picture of a pupil's progress, aptitudes, interests and aspirations, that will help to inform choices throughout a pupil's education.
	The Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has been developing and trialling the Pupil Profile over the last two years to ensure that it is robust, manageable and useful for parents, pupils and teachers. Further development work is planned for 2005/06. CCEA will ensure that the Pupil Profile will meet standards of validity and reliability by benchmarking them against the Assessment Reform Group's principles for effective teacher assessment.

Adult Literacy

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been made of the level of adult literacy in each Northern Ireland constituency.

Angela Smith: The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) which was conducted in 1996 indicated that 24 per cent. of the adult population in Northern Ireland performed at the lowest level of literacy, Level 1. Due to sample constraints, it is not possible to disaggregate the data in the Survey below Northern Ireland level.
	Available data indicates that of those adults performing at the lowest level of literacy:
	20 per cent. were aged between 16–25.
	16 per cent. were aged between 26–35.
	21 per cent. were aged between 36–45.
	43 per cent. were aged over 45.
	Since the launch of the Essential Skills for Living Strategy in October 2002 to March 2005, 28,965 adults have been supported to improve their levels of literacy and numeracy.

Agricultural Subsidies

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of administration in respect of agricultural subsidies in Northern Ireland was in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The costs associated with the administration of the range of agricultural subsidy schemes for the financial year 2004–05 was in the region of £6.64 million.

Air Weapons

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence he has had with the Scottish Executive on proposals on the control and licensing of air weapons in Scotland.

Paul Goggins: We are in close touch with the Scottish Executive and have had meetings at both ministerial and official level to discuss what further measures might be taken to tighten up controls on air weapons.

Alcohol Related Deaths

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths in which the primary cause was alcohol have been identified in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The following table gives the number of deaths in Northern Ireland in the latest year available—2004, where the underlying cause of death indicated a condition directly relating to alcohol use 1 .
	
		Number of alcohol-related deathsregistered in Northern Ireland, 2004
		
			  Alcohol-related deaths(107) 
		
		
			 2004(108) 31 
		
	
	(107)For the year 2004 the cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The codes used to define alcohol-related deaths are listed as follows:
	F10—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
	I42.6—Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	K70—Alcoholic liver disease
	K73—Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
	K74—Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
	X45—Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
	(108)Data for 2004 are provisional

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were (a) applied for and (b) issued in (i) the Northumbria Police force area and (ii) the local authority areas of (a) Wansbeck and (b) Castle Morpeth in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the table.
	
		Number of ASBOs applied for and issued, as notified to the Home Office, within the Northumbria police force area and where restrictions are imposed within specific local authority areas for 2002 to 2004 (latest available)
		
			  ASBOs on application ASBOs on conviction  
			 Area Total applications Total issued Total issued Total issued on application/ on conviction 
		
		
			 Northumbria police force area 
			 2002 16 16 16 0 
			 2003 4 4 13 17 
			 2004 8 8 21 31 
			  
			 Castle Morpeth borough council 
			 2002 0 0 0 0 
			 2003 0 0 0 0 
			 2004 0 0 1 1 
			  
			 Wansbeck district council 
			 2002 0 0 0 0 
			 2003 0 0 0 0 
			 2004 0 0 0 0

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued since their introduction in each of the Westminster constituencies in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: Five interim antisocial behaviour orders have been granted in Northern Ireland to date; one in the Belfast city council area, two in the Larne borough council area, and two in the Coleraine borough council area. Data is not collected by constituency.

Asbestos

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of the removal of asbestos from (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: All the Education and Library Boards have now completed asbestos surveys of schools. Where necessary, work on the removal of asbestos is taking place over the summer period and I am advised by the Education and Library Boards that by the end of September 2005, all top priority asbestos will have been removed from both primary and post-primary schools. Where it is not necessary to remove the asbestos immediately, the Boards and other school authorities are responsible for managing the asbestos safely.

Asbestos

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress with the Department of Education's asbestos survey; in which schools asbestos remains; and what the timescale is for the removal of asbestos from all buildings used by the Department.

Angela Smith: All the Education and Library Boards have now completed asbestos surveys of schools. Where necessary, work on the removal of asbestos is taking place over the summer period and I am advised by the Education and Library Boards that by the end of September 2005, all top priority asbestos will have been removed. Where it is not necessary to remove the asbestos immediately, the Boards and other school authorities are responsible for managing the asbestos safely. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible regarding the buildings where asbestos remains and the timescale for removal.

Asylum Seekers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the fast-tracking of asylum applications from Darfuri citizens.

Tony McNulty: All asylum claims in the detained fast track (there is no other fast track as such) are considered, as all other asylum claims, on their individual merits. Any claim from any country may be fast-tracked where it appears after screening to be one that may be decided within the indicative process timescale.

Asylum Seekers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the fast-tracking of asylum applications from torture victims.

Tony McNulty: Where it becomes apparent that a decision cannot be taken within the relevant timescales (e.g. because issues arise which require further investigation which cannot be completed quickly) a case will be taken out of the (detained) fast track process. A person's physical and mental health will also be a relevant consideration in deciding whether the individual is suitable for detention. But, the fact that a person is or may have been a victim of torture does not necessarily mean that a decision cannot be made quickly on the individual's claim.

Asylum Seekers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's procedure is for fast-tracking asylum applications from Darfuri citizens.

Tony McNulty: All asylum claims in the detained fast track (there is no other fast track as such) are considered, as all other asylum claims, on their individual merits. Any claim from any country may be fast-tracked where it appears after screening to be one that may be decided within the indicative process timescale.
	The Government are committed to providing protection for those individuals found to be genuinely in need, in accordance with our commitments under international law. Asylum decision-makers carefully assess the protection needs of each asylum claimant against a comprehensive background of country information when making a decision on an asylum claim.
	Every effort is made to establish each individual applicant's personal circumstances and full basis of claim before a final decision is made. All applications for asylum, including those from Sudanese nationals are considered on a case-by-case basis. Where it is found that a claimant is at risk of treatment amounting to persecution under the terms of the 1951 Convention, the grant of asylum is made. If a claimant's particular circumstances are found to engage the UK's obligations under the ECHR, then a form of subsidiary protection is granted.
	Claimants who are found by the Home Office and the independent appeals process not to be in need of international protection are deemed to be safe from persecution and are liable for return to their country of origin. We fully recognise that the precarious conditions in Sudan for those of non-Arab ethnicity originating from Darfur are such that there are individuals who are able to demonstrate a need for international protection. We do not however consider that each and every Sudanese national from Darfur who applies for asylum is in need of international protection.

Bullying

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidences of bullying of children have been reported (a) at primary schools and (b) in post-primary education in the last three years, broken down by (i) board area and (ii) category of bullying; and whether the incident took place on public transport to or from school in each case.

Angela Smith: The Department of Education does not collect the information requested. General information about the scale and nature of bullying in Northern Ireland schools is contained in a bullying research report published in October 2002. A research briefing summary is available on the Department's website at www.deni.gov.uk/facts_figures/researchb/rb2002/rb8_02.pdf.
	The Department will be commissioning updated research into bullying, in all its forms, during the 2005/06 school year and the results will also be published in due course.

Children/Child Care Sectors

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the funding for the children's and childcare sectors; and if he will take steps to assist with the funding difficulties on which he has received representations.

Angela Smith: Children and families continue to be a priority for Government. At a local level, the 2005–08 priorities and budget outcome provided a significant amount of funding for children's services, through a wide range of policies and programmes. In addition, and at national level, the significant expenditure through the social security and benefits systems contributes substantially to addressing the needs of children in the most vulnerable circumstances in Northern Ireland.
	Ministers will continue to listen carefully to all representations made regarding funding difficulties.

Civil Servants

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants worked in the Northern Ireland Civil Service in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The number of civil servants (permanent and temporary) working in the 11 Departments of the NI Administration and the NIO, including agencies, at 1 January for each of the past 10 years was as follows:
	
		
			  Permanent Temporary Total 
		
		
			 1996 25,446 (109)— 25,446 
			 1997 24,140 (109)— 24,140 
			 1998 23,500 (109)— 23,500 
			 1999 23,802 1,485 25,287 
			 2000 24,214 1,359 25,573 
			 2001 25,381 1,002 26,383 
			 2002 26,668 1,040 27,708 
			 2003 27,584 897 28,481 
			 2004 28,486 1,076 29,562 
			 2005 29,205 641 29,846 
		
	
	(109)Information on temporary staff is not available prior to 1999.

Coolkeeragh Power Station

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how much will be raised per year via the levy on gas and electricity users in Northern Ireland in relation to the system value agreement related to the new Coolkeeragh Power Station; and for how long these payments are expected to continue;
	(2)  what account was taken of the intended export of output from Coolkeeragh Power Station in the Republic of Ireland when granting the Electricity Supply Board financial benefits to be paid through levies on gas and electricity users in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is precluded, by virtue of Article 63(1) of the Energy (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 (No. 419, N.I. 6), from disclosing information in relation to the system value agreement, without the consent of Coolkeeragh ESB Ltd. (the owner of Coolkeeragh Power Station) and SONI Ltd. (the transmission system operator in Northern Ireland) who are the parties to the agreement.
	The Department has asked the parties whether they would consent to the disclosure of the information sought, and I will write to the hon. Member in light of the outcome.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many letters to his Department from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii)three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

Peter Hain: No letters received from hon. Members in the 2004–05 session remain unanswered. In the current session, three letters, all in the category of one month old, have not yet received substantive replies.
	The above information relates to the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and the Northern Ireland Office.

Correspondence

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's policy is for dealing with correspondence received in (a) Welsh, (b) Scots Gaelic and (c) Irish Gaelic.

David Hanson: Central guidance for Northern Ireland officials on meeting UK Government commitments in respect of Irish as set out in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has been developed by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and agreed by all Northern Ireland Departments and other Government Departments operating in the Northern Ireland.
	Guidance for use by officials from the NIO and NI Departments and associated public bodies on correspondence in Irish advises officials to reply, wherever possible, in Irish to correspondence received in that language.
	There are no official obligations in Northern Ireland in respect of Welsh or Scots Gaelic, although, where practicable, Departments would endeavour to accommodate the needs of persons wishing to correspond in those languages.

Defence Exports

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much British Trade International spent on promoting defence exports in each of the last three years.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The promotion of defence exports is a matter for Defence Exports Services Organisation. Under its Support for Exhibitions Seminars Abroad (SESA) programme United Kingdom Trade and Investment does provide support for trade associations to organise groups to attend overseas exhibitions and seminars. This has included the Defence Manufacturers Association (DMA) and the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) and can involve the promotion of non-weapon products for the defence industry as well as civil markets. In the last three years support for DMA and SBAC events overseas under SESA has been:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2002–03 521,472 
			 2003–04 379,661 
			 2004–05 280,740

Departmental Purchasing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the companies from which his Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each company.

Angela Smith: Details of companies from which Departments in Northern Ireland have purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years and how much was spent in respect ofeach company are set out as follows. Cumulative spends above £l million with individual companies across Departments could be identified only atdisproportionate cost and are therefore not provided.
	
		£
		
			 Name of company/vendor 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Aventis Pasteur MSD 1,171,410 — 1,153,051 
			 Belfast Centre of Learning 1,249,000 1,052,000 1,195,000 
			 BIC Systems — 1,374,749 — 
			 British Telecom NI 1,420,531 — 1,570,484 
			 BTW Shiells Ltd. — — 1,693,656 
			 Corporate Document Services 1,032,894 1,233,774 1,064,784 
			 Dale Farm Dairies Ltd. — — 1,321,600 
			 EDS Ltd. — 3,235,291 4,689,739 
			 Electrical Training NI Ltd. 2,325,000 2,536,000 2,834,000 
			 Energia — — 1,067,572 
			 Fujitsu 10,178,791 12,817,986 10,941,673 
			 H&J Martin Ltd. — 1,062,278 3,594,225 
			 Herbert Smith Solicitors — — 1,012,563 
			 Hewlett Packard Ltd. — — 1,450,534 
			 IBM United Kingdom Ltd. — 2,681,768 — 
			 Joblink 1,310,000 1,607,000 1,924,000 
			 John Sheridan & Sons Ltd. — 1,083,936 — 
			 Logica CMC UK Ltd. — 1,855,449 — 
			 Maybin Property Support Services (NI) Ltd. — 1,144,767 1,199,753 
			 McCann Erickson/Lyle Bailie 2,663,808 1,806,438 4,171,988 
			 McConnell Martin — 1,575,475 1,628,775 
			 McLaughlin & Harvey Ltd. — — 3,496,567 
			 MVM Consultants plc 1,248,590 1,363,520 1,327,525 
			 Navigator Blue — 1,401,757 1,300,784 
			 New Deal West 1,731,000 1,861,000 2,162,000 
			 NI Electricity plc 1,203,655 1,014,519 — 
			 North City Training Ltd. 1,848,000 1,973,000 2,521,000 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd. 1,281,452 — — 
			 Protocol Skills 1,100,000 1,403,000 1,551,000 
			 Romaha 1,427,785 3,034,150 3,330,126 
			 Royal Mail (NI) Ltd. 2,342,779 3,174,527 2,317,625 
			 Springvale Training Ltd. 1,640,000 1,709,000 2,005,000 
			 Steria Ltd. — 3,154,165 3,014,693 
			 SX3 — — 1,216,353 
			 Syntegra 3,876,176 5,502,151 7,369,283 
			 The Post Office Ltd. — — 1,038,943 
			 Workforce Training Services 1,061,000 1,198,000 1,172,000 
		
	
	In addition the Northern Ireland Office purchased goods and services of a total value of £26,425,626 from nine companies in 2002–03, £25,485,195 from 11 companies in 2003–04 and £27,045,080 from 10 companies in 2004–05. In each case the total amount purchased from each company exceeded £1 million. Due to security and commercial confidentiality it is not appropriate to name individuals companies in this case.

Departmental Staff (Stress)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation was paid to employees in each year; how many work days were lost due to work-related stress in each year; at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: NI Departments hold information in respect of working days lost due to psychiatric/psychological illnesses. However, it is not currently possible to determine precisely if these absences have been caused by, or made worse by work-related stress. Therefore, the information set out as follows reflects only those cases where work-related stress was specifically reported on either self-certificates or on medical certificates. Information on costs is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs. Work is under way to develop a coding system that will more accurately record work-related illnesses.
	A range of corporate measures has been introduced to help tackle stress including the promotion of work life balance, healthy lifestyle programmes and a Workplace Health Improvement Programme. Departments have also produced guidance for staff and managers on how to identify and manage work-related stress and complimented by training and awareness seminars. Managers also have the support of the Occupational Health Service (OHS), including the provision of Psychiatric nursing services, a comprehensive Welfare service and Employee Support Programmes (EAP). These programmes and support mechanisms take a more holistic view of staff health and well-being, including stress. While we can identify the overall cost of the provision of services, such as the OHS, Welfare and EAPs, any costing information, specific to work-related stress, is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	A major workforce health survey is currently underway with over 30,000 Northern Ireland civil servants invited to complete a health questionnaire. The survey contains a substantial section on stress, and seeks to identify where work may have been a contributory factor. The stress questions have been based on the Health and Safety Executive's Stress Management Standards.
	
		
			  Number of cases of work-related stress have been reported 
		
		
			 2002–03 58 
			 2003–04 76 
			 2004–05 90 
		
	
	
		
		
			  Total compensation paid(110)(£) 
		
		
			 2002–03 0 
			 2003–04 10,000 
			 2004–05 0 
		
	
	(110) Compensation" has been interpreted as that paid as a result of litigation arising out of work-related stress cases.
	
		
			  Number of work days lost due to work-related stress 
		
		
			 2002–03 3,797 
			 2003–04 4,548 
			 2004–05 5,448

Domestic Rates in Northern Ireland

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much revenue was raised from domestic rates in Northern Ireland in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2004–05; and what the projected level for 2005–06 is.

Angela Smith: The amount of rates collected from the domestic sector for 1997–98 and 2004–05 was £166.5 million and £346.8 million respectively.
	The projected domestic revenue for 2005–06 is £366.3 million.

Educational Performance

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the 10 worst areas in Northern Ireland for educational accomplishment based on the Nolan indices; and what steps he is taking in each area to make improvements in performance.

Angela Smith: The 10 most deprived areas for achievement of qualifications and access to education under the Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure 2005, the children and young people" sub-domain, are:
	
		
			 Rank Super output area Local government district 
		
		
			 1 Shankill 1 Belfast 
			 2 Shankill 2 Belfast 
			 3 The Mount 1 Belfast 
			 4 Crumlin2 Belfast 
			 5 Blackstaff 2 Belfast 
			 6 WoodvaleS Belfast 
			 7 Whiterock 2 Belfast 
			 8 Falls 2 Belfast 
			 9 Crumlin 1 Belfast 
			 10 Glencairn 1 Belfast 
		
	
	Note:
	Rank no. 1 relates to the most deprived area.
	Super Output Areas (SOAs) are a new geography that has been developed by NISRA to improve the reporting of small area statistics. Until now the standard unit of presenting local statistical information has been the Electoral Ward (Wards). However, in Northern Ireland, Wards vary greatly in population size (Census 2001), from fewer than 800 residents to more than 9,000. This is not ideal for regional and local comparisons. SOAs have been created on a ward-by-ward basis taking into account measures of population size and mutual proximity. SOAs may constitute a whole ward, or part of a ward, and aim to provide standard areas of geography with a population between a lower threshold of 1,300 and an upper threshold of 2800.
	Raising the educational achievement of all young people, and especially those in areas of greatest social need, is a key priority for Government. This is reflected in a variety of measures including increased funding (under TSN, enhanced pre-school provision and a range of intervention programmes to improve literacy and numeracy, and to make curriculum provision more relevant to pupils' needs.

Electricity Prices

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with energy providers about electricity prices in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Neither my right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland nor I have had recent discussions with energy providers about electricity prices in Northern Ireland. However, I plan to meet with representatives of two of the providers in the near future.

Electricity Prices

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to reduce electricity prices in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is continuing to work towards securing EU State aid approval of a proposed Government intervention of some £30 million a year aimed at reducing electricity prices. The proposed intervention would remove some of the excess costs inherited from privatisation.
	As an interim measure, £8.8 million of the available funding has been allocated to assist with energy efficiency measures which will have the effect of an average 1.5 per cent. reduction in electricity tariffs for all customers in the 2005–06 tariff year.

Epilepsy-related Deaths

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have died from epilepsy-related deaths in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The following table gives the number of deaths in Northern Ireland per year between 2000 and 2004 where the underlying cause of death was recorded as epilepsy 1 .
	
		Number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland due to epilepsy, 2000 to 2004
		
			  Deaths due to epilepsy1 
		
		
			 2000 23 
			 2001 22 
			 2002 22 
			 2003 22 
			 2004(112) 31 
		
	
	(111)International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code G40 for years 2001–04 and Ninth Revision code 345 for year 2000.
	(112)Data for 2004 is provisional

Fabrication Jobs

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fabrication jobs there are in Northern Ireland; and what the figures are for each of the last four years.

Angela Smith: Estimates of the number of employee jobs in the Manufacture of Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment in Northern Ireland at March in each year 2002 to 2005 are detailed in the following table.
	
		Table 1: Employee jobs(113)in the manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment
		
			 As at March Number 
		
		
			 2002 6,420 
			 2003 6,340 
			 2004(114) 6,740 
			 2005(115) 6,920 
		
	
	(113)Figures are rounded to the nearest 10
	(114)Revised
	(115)Provisional
	Note:
	Figures are not seasonally adjusted
	Source:
	Quarterly Employment Survey, DETI

Free School Transport

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many children are eligible for free school transport within each of the education boards.

Angela Smith: The following numbers of pupils were eligible, per board, for assisted school transport in school year 2004–05:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 BELB 3,990 
			 NEELB 22,084 
			 SEELB 19,611 
			 SELB 26,456 
			 WELB 25,650

Global Point Industrial Centre

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans there are to commence work on Global Point Industrial Centre, Newtownabbey.

Angela Smith: Invest NI and its predecessor IDB have been developing site infrastructure at Global Point in phases over the past number of years. Further development on the site is not expected until the public inquiry into the Belfast metropolitan plan is completed.

Housing Indicator Figures

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the latest housing indicator figures for each Northern Ireland local authority.

Shaun Woodward: Following consideration of the responses to the consultation on the housing growth indicators, I have decided to hold a public examination of the proposals. The public examination will be held in the autumn, with a final announcement at the end of the year.

Illegal Trading

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated illicit market share for (a) cigarettes, (b) spirits, (c) diesel and (d) petrol has been in each of the last five years.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Estimates of the illicit market share for cigarettes and spirits are not made separately for Northern Ireland. Figures for the UK were published by HM Customs and Excise in Measuring Indirect Tax Fraud" in December 2004, together with a description of the methodology used to derive them. These covered the years 2000–01 to 2003–04 for cigarettes and 1999–2000 to 2002–03 for spirits. This publication is available in the House of Commons Library.
	Because of difficulties in measuring cross-border shopping across the Intra-Ireland border, it is not possible to produce estimates of the illicit market for Northern Ireland in diesel and petrol. However, estimates of the share of these markets in Northern Ireland that are not UK-duty paid for the years 2000 to 2003 were also published in Measuring Indirect Tax Fraud"

Jobcentres (Assaults)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Job Centre staff in Northern Ireland have been the victims of assault in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The recorded incidents are set out in the following tables.
	
		Reported incidents of violence or verbal abuse in jobcentres
		
			  Violence to staff Verbal abuse Incidents involving customers 
			  Commit an actual physical assault on staff, contractor or customer; regardless of whether or not injury occurred Verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, name calling, insults threats-with or without a weapon, abusive phone calls, written abuse Fighting between themselves or damage to property 
		
		
			 1995–2001 0 0 0 
			 2002 0 2 2 
			 2003 0 3 0 
			 2004 0 0 0 
			 2005 0 2 0 
			 Total 0 7 2 
		
	
	
		Reported incidents of violence or verbal abuse in jobs and benefits offices(116)
		
			  Violence to staff Verbal abuse Incidents involving customers 
			  Commit an actual physical assault on staff, contractor or customer; regardless of whether or not injury occurred Verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, name calling, insults threats-with or without a weapon, abusive phone calls, written abuse Fighting between themselves or damage to property 
		
		
			 1995–2001 0 0 0 
			 2002 0 0 0 
			 2003 0 3 2 
			 2004 1 7 0 
			 2005 0 3 1 
			 Total 1 13 3 
		
	
	(116)Jobs and Benefits Offices were introduced in 2002.

Labour Force Survey

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of people in the South Antrim constituency are classified as (a) professionals and (b) skilled workers.

Angela Smith: Latest figures from the spring 2005 labour force survey show that 13 per cent. 1 of those in employment in the South Antrim constituency area are classified as being in professional occupations and 16 per cent. 1 are classified into skilled trade occupations.
	1 These estimates are based on small sample sizes and are therefore subject to a higher than usual degree of sampling variability. They should therefore be treated with caution.

Local Government Finance

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much central Government funding was given to each council in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The information requested is set out in the following tables:
	
		Central Government funding for district councils 2000–01 to 2004–05 -- £
		
			 District council 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 Total 
		
		
			 Antrim 1,221,962 1,142,009 1,394,288 1,957,613 2,046,893 7,762,765 
			 Ards 2,001,608 2,140,099 2,925,295 2,898,836 2,985,496 12,951,334 
			 Armagh 2,705,788 2,909,730 3,272,211 3,450,383 3,428,497 15,766,609 
			 Ballymena 1,197,564 1,328,781 1,425,234 1,946,627 1,982,152 7,880,358 
			 Ballymoney 1,598,125 1,828,984 1,630,693 1,857,095 1,806,545 8,721,442 
			 Banbridge 1,660,844 2,307,511 2,086,536 2,326,236 2,381,570 10,762,697 
			 Belfast 7,981,658 8,534,348 9,418,492 11,162,783 11,497,195 48,594,476 
			 Carrickfergus 1,528,876 976,784 1,002,582 1,653,794 1,584,821 6,746,857 
			 Castlereagh 1,142,769 1,146,245 1,328,465 1,413,861 2,051,104 7,082,444 
			 Coleraine 630,185 869,973 798,026 1,163,980 1,960,715 5,422,879 
			 Cookstown 1,401,333 1,641,757 1,817,692 2,192,382 2,386,276 9,439,440 
			 Craigavon 3,027,700 3,327,577 2,815,392 3,559,153 4,557,348 17,287,170 
			 Derry 3,152,200 2,832,151 3,449,096 3,909,602 5,031,597 18,374,646 
			 Down 3,207,863 3,552,429 3,280,728 3,308,630 3,979,151 17,328,801 
			 Dungannon 2,051,596 2,028,771 2,411,776 3,445,659 3,156,924 13,094,726 
			 Fermanagh 1,744,347 1,743,813 2,143,569 3,228,336 3,002,245 11,862,310 
			 Larne 537,289 558,689 872,430 1,324,920 1,019,840 4,313,168 
			 Limavady 1,184,028 1,465,426 1,531,842 1,741,735 1,926,251 7,849,282 
			 Lisburn 2,055,635 2,158,159 2,306,801 2,576,397 3,196,290 12,293,282 
			 Magherafelt 1,939,720 2,012,192 2,162,024 2,536,305 2,599,786 11,250,027 
			 Moyle 1,005,307 1,098,737 1,161,954 1,065,284 1,083,893 5,415,175 
			 Newry and Mourne 4,720,991 5,772,130 4,640,469 4,891,645 5,424,034 25,449,269 
			 Newtownabbey 1,685,346 1,736,238 2,227,015 2,718,824 3,154,124 11,521,547 
			 North Down 909,992 921,596 840,847 1,414,936 1,555,362 5,642,733 
			 Omagh 2,428,368 2,414,582 2,842,863 3,305,773 3,552,886 14,544,472 
			 Strabane 2,323,684 2,551,162 2,638,544 3,131,768 3,671,719 14,316,877 
			 Total 55,044,778 58,999,873 62,424,864 74,182,557 81,022,714 331,674,786 
		
	
	In addition to the aforementioned figures, the following payments have been made to designated employer councils (responsible for distributing funding within their respective groups):
	
		Construction products grants (DOE) -- £
		
			 District council 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Armagh 38,199 39,250 40,339 41,536 41,821 
			 Ballymena 52,727 54,113 55,505 57,074 57,103 
			 Belfast 35,583 36,059 36,515 37,009 36,446 
			 Castlereagh 47,892 49,053 50,346 51,796 51,837 
			 Omagh 34,599 35,525 36,295 37,585 37,793 
			 Total 209,000 214,000 219,000 225,000 225,000 
		
	
	
		Food safety grants (DOE) -- £
		
			 District council 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Armagh 240,150 243,682 252,348 0 0 
			 Ballymena 286,656 290,508 301,212 0 0 
			 Belfast 231,240 231,613 236,438 0 0 
			 Castlereagh 295,733 299,312 309,706 0 0 
			 Omagh 201,221 203,885 210,296 0 0 
			 Total 1,255,000 1,269,000 1,310,000 0 0

Lottery Funding

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much each district council in Northern Ireland received for projects from Lottery funding in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: In the last five financial years the Lottery distributors have made the following awards to each of the district councils in Northern Ireland.
	
		
			 District council 2004–05 2003–04 2002–03 2001–02 2000–01 
		
		
			 Antrim 210,732 11,845 305,000 — — 
			 Ards — — — — — 
			 Armagh — — 1,086,500 4,449 — 
			 Ballymena — — — — 4,441,000 
			 Ballymoney 173,050 — — — 50,000 
			 Banbridge — — 3,970 53,000 — 
			 Belfast 517,218 — — 100,000 — 
			 Carrickfergus — 5,000 — 695,500 — 
			 Castlereagh — — 18,400 18,315 — 
			 Coleraine — — — 1,387,875 — 
			 Cookstown 40,367 9,750 — — 12,056 
			 Craigavon 372,271 — 1,427,276 — 109,000 
			 Derry 180,254 — 1,480,000 — — 
			 Down 57,969 819,000 97,250 20,000 — 
			 Dungannon — 5,000 — — 500,000 
			 Fermanagh 384,789 — 100,000 — — 
			 Larne 19,628 200,000 604,500 269,976 — 
			 Limavady — — — — 15,000 
			 Lisburn 35,301 38,000 542,500 79,564 — 
			 Magherafelt — — — — — 
			 Moyle 587,215 — — — — 
			 Newry and  Mourne — 1,500,000 70,000 90,000 — 
			 Newtownabbey 221,350 — — — 506,500 
			 North Down 198,948 — 66,120 — — 
			 Omagh — — — — — 
			 Strabane 248,000 108,000 771,200 — —

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Angela Smith: Information about the value of management consultancy contracts awarded by individual Departments in Northern Ireland is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on management consultancy contracts awarded by the Central Procurement Directorate on behalf of Departments in Northern Ireland is held by that directorate and is set out as follows.
	
		
			  Management consultancies Contract values at the time of award (£) 
		
		
			 2002–03  
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 3,202,892 
			 Deloitte & Touche 799,568 
			 Helm Corporation 427,894 
			 BDO Stoy Hayward 318,806 
			 Capita 243,026 
			   
			 2003–04  
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 3,024,158 
			 Deloitte & Touche 1,273,258 
			 Capita 627,585 
			 Helm Corporation 472,900 
			 FPM Chartered Accountants 265,609 
			   
			 2004–05  
			 Deloitte & Touche 2,034,602 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 1,795,149 
			 BDO Stoy Hayward 495,181 
			 Helm Corporation 475,389 
			 ASM Howarth 359,791

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: The following outlines the expenditure by the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland administration and the Northern Ireland Office excluding agencies and non-departmental public bodies:
	
		
			  Management consultants(117) 
		
		
			 2002–03 4,410,990 
			 2003–04 4,853,689 
		
	
	(117)Defined as management advisory consultancy work relating to policy appraisal and review, strategic management, organisational development and performance measurement.
	Figures for 2004–05 are not currently held centrally however details will be forwarded to my hon. Friend as soon as they are available.

Maternities

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many young women in Northern Ireland in each age cohort from 12 to 18 years gave birth in each year since 2000–01

Angela Smith: The following table gives the number of maternities 1 registered by age of mother in Northern Ireland for each calendar year from 2000 to 2004.
	
		Number of maternities by age of mother, 2000–04
		
			  Registration year 
			 Age of mother 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004(119) 
		
		
			 12 0 0 0 0 0 
			 13 1 1 2 0 3 
			 14 10 4 3 4 2 
			 15 47 37 32 29 34 
			 16 163 127 113 122 133 
			 17 311 278 304 268 271 
			 18 481 489 491 469 467 
			 12–18 1,013 936 945 892 910 
		
	
	(118)Maternities are defined to be the number of pregnancies ending in stillbirth or live births with multiple births counting only once.
	(119)Data for 2004 are provisional.

Meetings

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the outcome of his recent meetings with political parties in Northern Ireland on the political situation in Northern Ireland.

Peter Hain: My meetings with all the Northern Ireland political parties have been extremely useful and I hope to intensify this process.
	There is cross-party agreement that, in order for there to be progress, we need to rebuild trust and confidence in the political process.
	In order for that to happen, we need to see a complete and verifiable end to all criminal and paramilitary activity and the decommissioning of all illegally held weapons.

Minister for Women

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will appoint a Minister for Women in Northern Ireland.

Peter Hain: The Minister of State for Northern Ireland, Lord Rooker, has responsibility for equality matters in Northern Ireland and is fully committed to tackling gender inequalities and promoting equality of opportunity for women in Northern Ireland.

School Bullying

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils in Northern Ireland have reported incidents of bullying in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The Department of Education does not collect the information requested.
	Information about the scale and nature of bullying in Northern Ireland schools is contained in a research report published in October 2002. A research briefing summary is available on the Department's website at:
	www.deni.gov.uk/facts_figures/researchb/rb2002/rb8_02.pdf.
	The Department will be commissioning updated research into bullying, in all its forms, during the 2005–06 school year and the results will also be published in due course.

School Discipline

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils in Northern Ireland have been found to be in the possession of (a) a weapon and (b) drugs on school premises in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The Department does not collect the information requested.
	From 2002–03 school year, the Department of Education has been gathering statistics on reasons for suspensions on an annual basis from each of the Education and Library Boards. Statistics are available for the number of suspensions from schools for possessing, using or dealing in illegal drugs or solvents on school premises. The statistics are available on the Department's website at:
	www.deni.gov.uk/facts_figures/education_stats/suspension_stats.htm.
	Notifications from schools do not identify carrying an offensive weapon as a specific reason for suspension, but could be recorded by schools on the suspension notification form in other categories.

Sickness Absence

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days the Department has lost due to sickness in the past five years for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: Sick absence statistics for the Northern Ireland Departments are analysed by financial year as opposed to calendar year. The information set out as follows represents the total number of days lost due to sickness absence in the 11 Departments of the NI Administration, their Agencies and the NIO for the period 2000/01–2003–04, the years for which the figures are available in this format.
	The figures for 2004–05 are currently being processed and are not yet available. Published statistics for Northern Ireland Departments for the financial years 2000/01–2003–04 are accessible on the Department's website at www.dfpni.gov.uk/publications.
	
		
			  Number of days lost due to sickness 
		
		
			 2000–01 331,937 
			 2001–02 349,116 
			 2002–03 371,470 
			 2003–04 390,818

Sinn Fein

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been claimed in expenses by Sinn Fein councillors since the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Angela Smith: The maximum rates of expenses payable to councillors are determined by the Department of the Environment but the amounts claimed by individual councillors or political parties are not held centrally.

South Eastern Education and Library Board

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for the management of the South Eastern Education and Library Board following the resignation of its chief executive.

Angela Smith: I understand that the Chief Executive of the South Eastern Education and Library Board announced his resignation at the Board meeting held on 30 June. His resignation will take effect from 30 September 2005.
	My Department is currently working with the South Eastern Education and Library Board on the appointment of a new Chief Executive.

Staff Sickness

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days were lost through staff sickness in respect of each department, agency and non-departmental public body in Northern Ireland in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05; what the average number of days lost per employee was in each case; and what estimate has been made of the cost of sickness absence in each year.

Angela Smith: Sick absence statistics for the Northern Ireland Departments are analysed by financial year as opposed to calendar year. The information set out at table 1 as follows represents the total number of days lost due to sickness absence in each of the 11 Departments of the NI Administration, their agencies and the NIO for the period 2003–04. The information relating to non-departmental public bodies is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The 2004–05 figures for NI Departments and NIO are currently being processed and are not yet available.
	The information set out at table 2 represents the total number of days lost due to sickness in the NI Prison Service for the period 2003–05.
	The Working days lost per staff year" approach is based on Cabinet Office recommendation. This approach replaced working days lost per person" which can misrepresent the absence rate in organisations which have a high proportion of part-time staff and/or high levels of staff turnover.
	Published statistics for Northern Ireland Departments for the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04 are accessible on the Department's website at www.dfpni.gov.uk/publications.
	
		Table 1: NI Departments and NIO: 2003–04
		
			 Department/agency(120) Total number of days lost Average days lost per staff year Cost (£) 
		
		
			 DARD 40,428.5 12.4 3,076,221 
			 which includes:
			 Forest Service 1,154.1 9.5 97,347 
			 Rivers Agency 2,047.4 12.5 172,520 
			 
			 DCAL 6,464.4 15.1 594,459 
			 which includes:
			 PRONI 1,290.6 15.6 88,652 
			 OSNI 2,498.3 13.3 253,893 
			 
			 DE 6,984.9 11.7 530,094 
			 
			 DEL 28,413.8 17.7 2,117,164 
			 
			 DETI(120) 8,218.2 11.8 639,922 
			 
			 DFP(121) 40,020.6 14.3 2,837,135 
			 which includes:
			 BDS 4,916.3 21.1 359,432 
			 NISRA 4,042.2 12.1 295,942 
			 VLA 3,339.4 11.6 265,918 
			 Land Registers of NI 5,388.7 24.6 334,713 
			 Rate Collection Agency 5,039.9 19.3 281,958 
			 
			 DHSSPS 12,128.9 12.3 1,127,489 
			 which includes:
			 Health Estates Agency 1,011.3 7.8 118,927 
			 
			 DOE 29,216.4 13.4 2,291,734 
			 which includes:
			 Planning Service 6,935.1 10.8 625,859 
			 Environment and Heritage Service 5,056.8 11.2 427,643 
			 DVLNI 9,263.2 21.1 593,365 
			 DVTA 5,339.6 11.7 416,714 
			 
			 DRD 37,036.9 12.0 3,125,789 
			 which includes:
			 Roads Service 17,068.9 11.7 1,402,675 
			 Water Service 11,806.9 10.6 1,020,126 
			 
			 DSD 159,088.4 19.7 9,414,774 
			 which includes:
			 CSA 38,822.5 24.5 2,026,395 
			 SSA 110,562.5 18.8 6,634,158 
			 
			 OFMDFM 4,815.5 12.6 355,725 
			 
			 NIO (including Home Civil Service) 18,001.5 13.0 1,439,378 
			 
			 Total 390,818.0 15.3 27,549,883 
		
	
	(120)Staff from Health and Safety Executive NI and Office for the Regulation of Electricity and Gas (OFREG) are included in the DETI figures.
	(121)Staff from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Complaints and the Planning Appeals Commission are included in the DFP figures.
	
		Table 2: NI Prison Service
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Total number of days lost 43,808 33,272 
			 Average days lost per staff year 20.7 15.9 
			 Cost (£ million) 5.1 3.8

Teachers

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many teachers are currently employed in (a) Catholic maintained schools and (b) non–Catholic maintained schools; and if he will detail the average gross salary paid to teachers in each category for the last financial year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: pursuant to the reply, 11 July 2005, Official Report, col. 820W
	Regarding teachers' salaries, there are 7,063 teachers, including 522 Principals, employed in Catholic maintained schools and the individual average gross salary paid to these teachers (excluding Principals) in the 2004–05 financial year was £30,371.27. There are 168 teachers, including 22 Principals, employed in non-Catholic maintained schools (these are Irish medium schools) and the average gross salary paid to these teachers (excluding Principals) in 2004–05 was £26,093.92.

Teachers

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the appointments made by boards of governors that were subsequently changed on the recommendation of the Teachers Appointment Committee in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) sector, (b) school type, (c) Education and Library Board area and (d) date.

Angela Smith: Boards of Governors of controlled and Catholic maintained schools do not make appointments of staff; this is a matter for each Education and Library Board or the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools respectively. In the case of controlled schools, the Boards' Teaching Appointments Schemes provide for the Board of Governors to draw up a personnel specification for the vacant post, to interview those applicants who meet the agreed short-listing criteria, and then to submit the name of one candidate to the Teaching Appointments Committee for ratification. The Education and Library Boards have informed me that no Teaching Appointments Committee has overturned any submission for the appointment of a classroom teacher during the last five years.
	For Principal and Vice-Principal posts in controlled schools, Boards of Governors submit up to three names for consideration by the Teaching Appointments Committee, who then undertake a selection process from the names listed. Under the Teaching Appointments Schemes the Teaching Appointments Committees are not obliged to appoint one of the candidates listed. I have asked for further information from the Education and Library Boards about numbers of instances where a Teaching Appointments Committee has decided not to appoint any of the candidates nominated by a Board of Governors, and will write when this is available.
	The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools does not have a Teaching Appointments Committee for the purpose of appointing teachers to their schools. Appointments procedures are delegated to Boards of Governors in line with their Teaching Appointments Scheme; the selected candidates are ratified, and their appointment made, by Council.
	Voluntary grammar and grant-maintained integrated schools appoint and employ their own staff.

Teachers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers have been the victims of (a) assault and (b) sexual assault in schools in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: Information on the number of physical attacks on school staff, which have led to suspension of pupils have been recorded since 2002–03, and on expulsions since 2003–04. The information is published on the Departments website at:
	www. deni.gov.uk/facts_figures/education_stats/index_other.htm
	Information on any sexual attacks is not held separately.

Telecommunications Masts

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many telecommunications masts there are in Northern Ireland, broken down by telecommunications company.

Angela Smith: The term telecommunication mast covers a wide range of applications but in this instance is taken to mean cellular mobile communication masts (as opposed to radio and television broadcasters, utility companies, the emergency services, taxi companies, government services, aeronautical radio, and the paging industry)
	The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment does not have information on the number of telecommunications masts in Northern Ireland or the details of ownership. Telecommunications is a privatised industry subject to the independent regulator, the Office for Communications (OFCOM).

Telephone Inquiries

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what facilities his Department has to deal with telephone Inquiries in (a) Welsh, (b) Scots Gaelic and (c) Irish Gaelic.

David Hanson: Central guidance for Northern Ireland officials on meeting UK Government commitments in respect of Irish as set out in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has been developed by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and agreed by all Northern Ireland Departments and other Government Departments operating in the Northern Ireland.
	Telephone inquiries received in Irish are dealt with in that language if the official receiving the call is confident that he/she can do so. If the official is unable to carry out a conversation in Irish, the caller can be directed or diverted to either an Irish-speaking member of staff, should one be available, or an Irish language voicemail facility.
	There are no official obligations in Northern Ireland in respect of Welsh or Scots Gaelic, although, where practicable, Departments would endeavour to accommodate the needs of persons speaking those languages.

Tyres

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tyres were scrapped in each of the last five years in Northern Ireland; how many tonnes this amounts to; and what his best estimate is of the proportion of the tyres which were (a) disposed of in landfill sites and (b) illegally dumped.

Angela Smith: The Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) does not hold detailed data for the quantities of tyres scrapped in each of the last five years but it has commissioned a data survey for the waste tyre stream. Its findings estimated that 16,000 tonnes of used tyres were generated in Northern Ireland in 2000; less than 1 per cent. was estimated to have been landfilled and 30 per cent. were estimated to have been disposed of to unknown destinations.
	I am aware of the problems generated by the illegal disposal of tyres and EHS has recently made contact with tyre depots remind them of their responsibilities.

Unemployment

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the level of unemployment was in each of the last five years in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Labour Force Survey estimates of the level of unemployment in Northern Ireland for each of the last 5 years can be found in the following Table 1.
	
		Table 1: Number of unemployed persons in Northern Ireland
		
			 Period (Spring) Unemployment 
		
		
			 2000 50,000 
			 2001 46,000 
			 2002 41,000 
			 2003 41,000 
			 2004 35,000 
			 2005 36,000 
		
	
	Source:
	NI Labour Force Survey

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Claims

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what circumstances claims for (a) income support and (b) other benefits are considered to be active even though payment has been stopped.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 18 July 2005
	For income support and most other benefits, claims remain active where: a question arises about the claimant's entitlement to that benefit and further investigation is required to resolve the question; an appeal is pending; or, benefit is recoverable for some reason. In these circumstances, the claim would remain active until the issues were resolved.
	For jobseekers allowance and incapacity benefit, where a claimant is not entitled to receive a cash benefit, but meets the other criteria, they may nevertheless receive National Insurance contribution credits for the duration of their claim.
	Many social security benefits are subject to overlap rules. Where somebody is entitled to two such benefits only one will be paid. However, an underlying entitlement to both benefits remains and both claims would remain active whilst the circumstances of entitlement exist.

Benefit fraud

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of benefit fraud he estimates to be due to identity fraud, broken down by benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Identity-related benefit fraud costs the Department £20 to £50 million annually. This broad estimate is derived mainly from national data produced by our regional benefit review process, which, by examining a percentage of cases is designed to uncover fraud and error in the most vulnerable, income-related, benefits. As we estimate that about £1.5 billion a year is lost through benefit fraud, our figures for identity fraud represent between 1 to 3 percent. of this total.
	We are not able to provide a breakdown by benefit but our evidence suggests that the problem is concentrated mainly in the income-related benefits.

Benefit fraud

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of calls made to the benefit fraud hotline led to (a) investigation and (b) conviction of individuals named by callers in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The information is in the table.
	
		Proportion of calls made to the National Benefit Fraud Hotline between April 2004 and March 2005 that resulted in convictions and referral for investigation.
		
			  
		
		
			 Calls made (number) 278,513 
			 Calls answered (number) 199,004 
			 Referrals for investigation as a proportion of calls made (percentage) 39.46 
			 Convictions as a proportion of calls made (percentage) 0.23 
		
	
	Source:
	National Benefit Fraud Hotline

Benefit Receipt (Scotland)

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency are in receipt of (i) severe disability allowance, (ii) widows benefit, (iii) housing benefit, (iv) council tax benefit, (v) pension credit and (vi) income support; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information in respect of Scotland is given in the following table. The information is not currently available in respect of the new constituency of Lanark and Hamilton East, but should become available towards the end of this year.
	
		Claimants of severe disablement allowance, incapacity benefit, widows benefit, housing benefit, council tax benefit, pension credit and income support in Scotland
		
			 Benefit Date Claimants 
		
		
			 Severe disablement allowance February 2005 33,800 
			 Incapacity benefit February 2005 281,500 
			 Income support February 2005 229,100 
			 Housing benefit February 2005 446,600 
			 Council tax benefit February 2005 545,000 
			 Widows benefit September 2004 16,100 
			 Pension credit March 2005 280,795 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred, apart from that for pension credit which has been rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Severe disablement allowance, incapacity benefit, income support and widows benefit are based on 5 per cent. samples and are subject to sampling variation.
	Housing benefit, council tax benefit and pension credit are based on 100 per cent. caseloads.
	3. Government Office Region is assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS Postcode Directory.
	4. Housing benefit/council tax benefit figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated.
	5. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases.
	6. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.
	7. Pension credit figures are taken from the Generalised Matching Service (GMS) 100 per cent. scans taken on the 18 March and have been rated up to give month-end estimates.
	8. Severe disablement allowance/incapacity benefit figures include credits only cases.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions, 5 per cent. and 100 per cent. samples
	Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in February 2005

Benefit Receipt (Scotland)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) total and (b) change in the number of people claiming each state benefit has been for each Scottish constituency, since 2001.

James Plaskitt: Housing benefit, council tax benefit, and maternity benefit figures are not available at parliamentary constituency level. The available information has been placed in the Library.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions the Health and Safety Executive has had with the emergency services about co-ordinating investigations when carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected.

James Plaskitt: The Work-Related Deaths Protocol (WRDP) sets out the principles for liaison between the investigating authorities in relation to all work-related deaths in England and Wales. Additionally, its associated Investigators Guide" includes practical guidance for dealing with domestic gas incidents. In March 2005, HSE issued through the WRDP's network of regional groups, revised guidance on the role of gas suppliers' investigators and revised arrangements for carrying out simulation tests.

Carer's Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many pensioners (a) are receiving payment of carer's allowance and (b) have an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance;
	(2)  in what circumstances pensioners are entitled to carer's allowance; and what measures are in place to ensure that those pensioners are informed of their entitlement.

Anne McGuire: In October 2002, we removed the upper age limit on claims to carer's allowance so that people of state pension age can qualify for the benefit on exactly the same basis as people of working age.
	As at 28 February 2005, the latest date for which information is available, about 24,360 people of state pension age were receiving carer's allowance. A further 218,710 had claimed and qualified for the allowance, but were not receiving it because of the operation of the overlapping benefit rules 1 . Pensioners on a low income who hold an entitlement to carer's allowance can get extra help within pension credit which is currently worth up to £25.80 per week. As at February 2005 some 133,200 carers of state pension age were receiving this additional amount.
	Information about carer's allowance is made available to carers via a wide variety of outlets—social security offices, Jobcentre Plus offices, Welfare Benefits offices, on-line at DWP websites and through various helplines. In addition, through its network of pension centres and its local service, the Pension Service considers the needs of all its customers and encourages them to take up the range of benefits, including carer's allowance, to which they may be entitled.
	1 Data source: DWP Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average time taken to process new Child Support Agency claims in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Laws, dated 5 September 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average time taken to process new Child Support Agency claims in the last period for which figures are available.
	The information you seek is not currently available with any level of accuracy as the Agency is progressively improving its management information systems. Whilst I am unable to provide a more up-to-date assessment currently, I expect that planned improvements in management information will allow me to do so in the coming months.
	Our previous Chief Executive Doug Smith, informed the Work and Pensions Select Committee on 17 November 2004 that the average time for handling a case, up to the stage where the maintenance assessment is calculated, was between 15 to 22 weeks.
	I am sorry that we are not able to be more helpful at present.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what level of accuracy the Child Support Agency's checking teams have been assessed to have achieved on each separate occasion when they have been assessed; and what level of accuracy was achieved by the agency's front end staff;
	(2)  how often checks have been made on the accuracy of the Child Support Agency's checking teams.

Stephen Timms: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the requested information.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. David Laws, dated 5 September 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what level of accuracy the Child Support Agency's checking teams have been assessed to have achieved on each separate occasion when they have been assessed; and what level of accuracy was achieved by the Agency's front end staff. You also asked, how often checks have been made on the accuracy of the Child Support Agency's checking teams.
	The Agency's Secretary of State target for new scheme cases is that accuracy on the last decision for all maintenance calculations checked to be correct to the nearest penny in at least 90% of cases." For 2004/2005, the Agency reported 75% accuracy for new scheme cases and for 2005/2006, the year to date total for new scheme cases has increased to 82%.
	For old scheme cases, the Agency's internal target is that accuracy on the last decision for all maintenance calculations checked to be correct to the nearest penny in at least 82% of cases." For 2004/2005, the Agency reported 78% accuracy for old scheme cases and for 2005/2006, the year to date total for old scheme cases is 77%.
	The accuracy rate of child support assessments is determined by checks carried out by the Monitoring and Guidance Unit (MAGU). This unit was established as an independent body to monitor quality independent from the Agency. MAGU was audited by the Internal Assurance Service last year following their assessment of the 2003/2004 accuracy rate. As part of this validation process, 26 cases were selected at random per business unit (156 in total for the Agency). Internal Assurance Service concluded that they agreed with MAGU's findings, confirming the validity of their results. I am satisfied that the monitoring of cases undertaken by MAGU forms an appropriate independent assurance; their accuracy rate is therefore not checked on a regular basis.
	Business units carry out a number of local checks, including accuracy, debt adjustment and closure. They are provided with a quota for each of these checks to determine the number to be done. These checks are not validated by MAGU. They provide the business with an assurance that these types of cases are being actioned correctly and that any incorrect practices can be addressed at a local level.
	I hope that this reply has been useful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what validation checks are performed each month on the (a) old and (b) new Child Support Agency computer system.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. David Laws
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about what validation checks are performed each month on the (a) old and (b) new Child Support Agency computer system.
	The Agency operates a dual approach to checking; establishing the performance of decision makers through mandatory business checks, and through validation checks.
	The Agency operates a risk-based methodology for mandatory business checks. This is underpinned by a quota system, which is reviewed bi monthly to determine the volume of checks to be undertaken. The volume is derived from the amount of work actioned in business units and the level of accuracy achieved.
	Last year the Agency undertook 37,895 checks on the old scheme cases and 23,226 checks on new scheme cases.
	A minimum of 20 validation checks are undertaken every month in each business unit split equally between new and old scheme cases.
	In addition to these checks the Agency's Monitoring and Guidance Unit undertakes an independent assessment of Agency accuracy, based on a random sample of 1,500 cases split across both the old and new scheme.
	I hope you have found this answer useful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls to the Child Support Agency have been abandoned by (a) Agency staff and (b) clients in each month since 2003.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. David Laws, dated 5 September 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls to the Child Support Agency have been abandoned by (a) Agency staff and (b) clients in each month since 2003.
	The table below provides the number of calls abandoned by callers for the period April 2003 to May 2005. Generally, an abandoned call is where the caller hangs up before the call is answered. In CSA this is defined as before the call has been answered by either the National Helpline or a caseworker; and for CS2 clients, excludes those callers who hang-up during the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) process. To put these figures into perspective I have also provided the number of calls received in the same period. Agency staff cannot abandon calls.
	
		
			 Calendar month Calls received Calls abandoned by caller 
		
		
			 April 2003 317,637 68,012 
			 May 2003 439,891 102,292 
			 June 2003 388,261 93,655 
			 July 2003 420,005 106,604 
			 August 2003 392,537 95,766 
			 September 2003 478,207 147,505 
			 October 2003 510,904 168,298 
			 November 2003 421,273 110,241 
			 December 2003 204,456 47,227 
			 January 2004 454,029 137,896 
			 February 2004 425,584 114,252 
			 March 2004 520,791 145,586 
			 April 2004 433,841 105,262 
			 May 2004 392,694 65,084 
			 June 2004 424,038 45,298 
			 July 2004 408,863 52,156 
			 August 2004 412,137 61,286 
			 September 2004 491,625 102,607 
			 October 2004 448,608 81,180 
			 November 2004 459,991 59,094 
			 December 2004 326,753 35,845 
			 January 2005 451,661 71,119 
			 February 2005 389,362 50,082 
			 March 2005 424,345 65,252 
			 April 2005 414,691 53,429 
			 May 2005 381,609 36,611 
		
	
	I hope you find this useful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions in the last two years Child Support Agency maintenance payments have been erroneously paid to the parent with care instead of to him; how much these payments were for; and whether they were all recovered.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.
	Payments could have been erroneously paid to the person with care instead of to the Secretary of State when the Child Support Agency believes the person with care is off benefit but they are actually on benefit. If the person with care fails to report receipt of this payment as an income, there would be an overpayment of benefit and this would have to be recovered. Child Support Agency do not hold records on how often this occurs or the amounts that are involved for this category of overpayment.
	All overpayments of benefit are recovered via our debt management organisation. To be able to answer the question our records would have to be able to identify erroneous payments of maintenance as an overpayment cause. Unfortunately our systems do not capture data on this specific cause—they would be included in all records of overpayments caused by income.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of full-time equivalent Child Support Agency (CSA) staff are employed as frontline staff; how many staff were employed in March; what the staff turnover rate was in the latest period for which figures are available; how many staff (a) left the CSA and (b) went on leave in that period; and how many staff have been recruited since April 2003.

Stephen Timms: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Laws, dated 5 September 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what percentage of full time equivalent Child Support Agency staff are employed as frontline staff; how many staff were employed in March; what the staff turnover rate was in the latest period for which figures are available; how many staff (a) left the Child Support Agency and (b) went on leave in that period; and how many staff have been recruited since April 2003.
	In March 2005 the Child Support Agency employed 9784 full time equivalent staff; this figure does not include staff working in Northern Ireland who are employed by the Northern Ireland Civil Service. 75% of these staff work in frontline duties and the remainder are employed in frontline management and support functions or head quarters and support services.
	In the period April 2003 to March 2004 the total turnover was 15% and between April 2004 to March 2005 17%. For the purpose of this response turnover has been taken to include all staff who joined or left the Agency in this period. Between April 2003 and March 2005 3398 full time equivalent staff left the Agency and 2290 full time equivalent staff were recruited. These figures include temporary staff.
	All staff in the Agency have an annual entitlement to leave and are expected to use that entitlement over the course of the year. All staff should therefore have taken leave between April 2003 and March 2005.
	I hope this answer is useful.

Child Support Agency

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what action he plans to take with the senior management of the Child Support Agency over the handling of the case of Simone Hampshire, a constituent of the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey;
	(2)  for what reasons a reply has not been sent from the Child Support Agency to Simone Hampshire, a constituent of the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, due on 8 June;
	(3)  what compensation he plans to offer to Simone Hampshire, a constituent of the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, for losing her Child Support Agency case notes.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Derek Wyatt, dated 5 September 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what action he plans to take with the senior management of the Child Support Agency over the handling of the case of Simone Hampshire; why the reply from the Child Support Agency to Simone Hampshire due on the 8 June has not been forthcoming; and what compensation he plans to offer to Simone Hampshire for losing her Child Support Agency case notes.
	As details about individual cases are confidential I have written to you separately about this case.

Child Support Agency

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of claimants who decline to identify the father of their child for Child Support Agency purposes.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Derek Conway
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of claimants who decline to identify the father of their child for Child Support Agency purposes.
	Under the child support scheme that existed prior to March 2003, a parent with care was required to authorise the Secretary of State to pursue maintenance from the non-resident parent. Under the new scheme, where an application is made by a parent with care for Income Support or income based Jobseekers Allowance, this is also treated as an application for child maintenance. The parent with care is then required to supply the details of the non-resident parent. However, if there are reasonable grounds for believing that if they were to be required to comply there would be a risk to them or to any of their children living with them of harm or undue distress as a result, no further action will be taken. If there are no such grounds, withholding information can lead to a loss of benefit under a Reduced Benefit Direction.
	The following table shows the number of cases for the last financial year broken down by good cause, applications and decisions. We are unable to identify the number of male parents with care included in these figures as the information is not recorded by gender.
	
		
			  Total CSA interest cases claiming Good Cause referred for decision Total number of Good Cause accepted Total number of Good Cause not accepted Total number of Reduced Benefit Directions imposed Number of cases where maintenance application form subsequently completed Number of Good Cause claims outstanding carried over each month 
		
		
			 April 2004 2,629 966 1,084 878 1,131 4,244 
			 May 2004 3,028 1,204 981 720 1,312 4,116 
			 June 2004 3,895 1,323 1,120 974 1,756 3,884 
			 July 2004 3,160 1,103 1,107 987 1,499 3,277 
			 August 2004 2,938 901 1,139 957 1,189 3,735 
			 September 2004 3,200 1,034 1,151 904 1,653 3,807 
			 October 2004 3,240 1,163 1,102 909 1,503 3,839 
			 November 2004 3,322 1,405 1,220 1,072 1,530 3,406 
			 December 2004 2,978 989 983 792 1,091 3,870 
			 January 2005 2,832 1,128 1,122 1,036 1,333 3,552 
			 February 2005 3,309 1,164 1,068 1,057 1,326 3,605 
			 March 2005 3,376 1,214 1,148 978 1,547 3,117 
			 Total YTD 37,907 13,594 13,225 11,264 16,870 — 
		
	
	I hope this has been useful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library the minutes of the Child Support Agency's Audit Committee for the last four years.

James Plaskitt: The disclosure of this information is considered likely to prejudice the effective operation of the Child Support Agency's Audit Committee. The effectiveness of on-going reporting and management of identified risks and the open and free disclosures and discussions regarding Internal Audit findings would likely be inhibited. This would negatively impact the free and frank dialogue of the Audit Committee and ultimately the agency's ability to operate efficiently. There is a well established process of external audit by National Audit Office (NAO). Therefore, any audit issues that are of major concern or public interest are considered appropriately and reports are freely available.

Children in Poverty

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children of school age in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England were living in poverty in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in 'Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 2003–04'. The threshold of below 60 per cent. median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	The number of school age children in the North East in 2003–04 living in households with low incomes was 110,000 when incomes were reported Before Housing Costs, and 130,000 when incomes were reported After Housing Costs. The reporting of year on year changes in low-income rates for regions is not reliable and Information is not available below regional level.
	Information regarding England is in the table.
	
		School age children living in England living in low income households
		
			  Income below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income Income below 60 per cent. of 1996–97 median income held constant in real terms 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,100,000 2,800,000 2,100,000 2,700,000 
			 1998–99 2,100,000 2,800,000 2,000,000 2,600,000 
			 1999–00 2,000,000 2,700,000 1,600,000 2,400,000 
			 2000–01 1,800,000 2,600,000 1,400,000 2,100,000 
			 2001–02 1,800,000 2,500,000 1,100,000 1,800,000 
			 2002–03 1,800,000 2,400,000 1,000,000 1,600,000 
			 2003–04 1,800,000 2,400,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 
		
	
	Note:
	The table shows the number of children rounded to the nearest 100,000.
	Source:
	Family Resources Survey

Children in Poverty

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) children and (b) disabled children in single parent families have been assessed as living in poverty in (i) the Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the north-east and (iv) the UK in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in 'Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 2003–04'. The threshold of below 60 per cent. median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	The number of children in 2003–04 living in lone parents families in households with low incomes in the North East was 60,000 when incomes were measured Before Housing Costs, and 80,000 when incomes were measured After Housing Costs.
	Information regarding the number of children living in lone parent families in low income households is not available below regional level. Information regarding the number of disabled children in single parent families living in low income households is not available below national level.
	The number of children living in lone parent families in households with low incomes in Great Britain in each year since 1997 and the number of disabled children living in lone parent families in households with low incomes in Great Britain in each year since 1997 is presented in the tables:
	
		Children living in lone parent families in households with low incomes in Great Britain
		
			  Income below 60 per cent. of  contemporary median income Income below 60 per cent. of 1996–97 median income held constant in real terms 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1997–98 1,100,000 1,700,000 1,100,000 1,700,000 
			 1998–99 1,100,000 1,700,000 1,000,000 1,600,000 
			 1999–2000 1,100,000 1,800,000 900,000 1,600,000 
			 2000–01 1,000,000 1,600,000 700,000 1,300,000 
			 2001–02 1,000,000 1,600,000 500,000 1,100,000 
			 2002–03 1,000,000 1,600,000 400,000 900,000 
			 2003–04 900,000 1,400,000 400,000 900,000 
		
	
	
		Disabled children living in lone parent families in households with low incomes in Great Britain
		
			  Income below 60 per cent. of  contemporary median income Income below 60 per cent. of 1996–97 median income held constant in real terms 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1997–98 111,000 150,000 110,000 150,000 
			 1998–99 70,000 110,000 60,000 100,000 
			 1999–00 80,000 120,000 70,000 110,000 
			 2000–01 90,000 130,000 60,000 100,000 
			 2001–02 50,000 100,000 20,000 60,000 
			 2002–03 60,000 90,000 20,000 60,000 
			 2003–04 60,000 100,000 30,000 70,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. GB has been provided in the table to provide a consistent time series because UK information is only available from 2002–03.
	2. The table shows national results for the number of children rounded to the nearest 100,000. Regional figures for 2003–04 are presented to the nearest 10,000. The results are drawn from a survey of a sample of households. While the tables give an indication of trends over time, the figures, especially those at regional level, should not be viewed as giving an accurate picture of year-on-year changes.
	3. The definition for disabled here is consistent across all year, and is defined where a long standing illness that limits mobility is reported.
	Source:
	Family Resources Survey

Computer Crime

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many cases of computer (a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft his Department recorded in each year since 2001–02; and on how many occasions computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (i) within and (ii) outside his Department in each year.;
	(2)  how many cases of computer (a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft his Department recorded in each year since 2001–02; and for each year on how many occasions computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (i) within and (ii) outside his Department.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is in the following table. Appropriate action is taken following an examination of all incidences on a case-by-case basis.
	
		
			  Hacking Fraud Theft 
		
		
			 2002–03 0 2 128 
			 2003–04 0 2 185 
			 2004–05 1 4 82 
		
	
	Note:
	1. The single hacking incident was perpetrated by a person outside the Department.
	2. All fraud cases relate to frauds committed by staff within the Department.

Conferences

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Department spent on organising or sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is not available centrally in the format requested and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Construction Industry

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been reported to him from the Health and Safety Commission in meeting the targets for the reduction of deaths and injuries at work in the construction industry; what the most recent figure is for the (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal injury rate for the construction sector in the UK: and what the EU comparator is.

Stephen Timms: The Chief Inspector of Construction last reported to Ministers on progress towards health and safety targets in February this year.
	The latest available statistics for 2003–04 (provisional) show the rate of fatal injury to workers was 3.5 per 100,000, the rate of major injuries to employees was 335.1 and over three-day injuries to employees was 683.6. These rates represent the lowest on record and exceed the all-industry Revitalising Health and Safety targets set by the Government in 2000. However, so far, progress falls short of meeting targets set and announced in 2001 by the industry itself for achievement in 2010.
	Provisional fatal injury statistics for 2004–05 will be published shortly.
	The latest figures available from Eurostat show that in 2000 the EU average rate for fatal injuries in construction was 11.4 per 100,000 workers and 7548.0 over three-day injuries per 100,000 workers. Eurostat's rate of over three-day injury includes those injuries defined in the UK as 'major' injuries. When GB's over three-day and major injury rates are combined, the rate is 1018.7.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many letters to his Department from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

James Plaskitt: During 2004 we received over 13,000 letters from hon. Members to which we replied to 86 per cent. within 20 working days. As at 12 August, there were 54 unanswered letters from hon. Members which were more than one month old and a further 15 that were more than two months old. All of these letters were received since the start of the current parliamentary session.

Child Support Agency

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many resident parents are not receiving maintenance payments from former partners due to technical difficulties experienced by the Child Support Agency's new computer system; what the average sum involved is; what the average time taken to resolve cases via the new computer system is; how many cases have been referred to the Clerical Options Team; and how long on average it took for cases to be resolved clerically in the last period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 22 June 2005
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. Anthony Steen
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many resident parents are not receiving maintenance payments from former partners due to technical difficulties experienced by the Child Support Agency's new computer system; what the average sum involved is; what the average time taken to resolve cases via the new computer system is; how many cases have been referred to the Clerical Options Team; and how long on average it took for cases to be resolved clerically in the last period for which figures are available.
	I am unable to provide the number of resident parents who are not receiving maintenance payments due to technical difficulties with the new computer system. Similarly I am unable to give you information on the average sum involved. However, we have systems in place to deal with any cases where technical difficulties delay payments to resident parents.
	The Agency is presently not in a position to fully answer the question on what the average time taken to resolve a case is. We are progressively improving our management information systems and I will write to you again with the complete answer once the information is available and assured. My predecessor Doug Smith informed the Work and Pensions Select Committee on 17 November 2004 that the average time for handling a case, up to the stage where the maintenance assessment is calculated, was between 15 to 22 weeks.
	Around 12,000 cases have been referred to the Agency's Clerical Teams to be progressed clerically. On average the time taken for clerical cases to reach maintenance calculation is 22 weeks from receipt to the clerical team.
	I am sorry that we are not able to be more helpful at present.

Child Support Agency

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on enforcement by the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Danny Alexander, dated 5 September 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been spent on enforcement by the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
	The amounts spent on enforcement by the Child Support Agency in each of the last three years are:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2003–04 3.6 
			 2004–05 3.6 
			 2005–06 (122)4 
		
	
	(122) Projected spend
	These amounts reflect the cost of staff deployed directly on enforcement casework. In each of the three years mentioned, the Agency also incurred expenditure of approximately £3 million on progressing cases through the Court System. Information for the years prior to 2003/04 is not available.
	I hope you find this answer useful.

Departmental Purchasing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the companies from which his Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each company.

Anne McGuire: The details of the principal companies with which the Department for Work and Pensions has purchased goods and services in the last three financial years, in order of the total spend with each, have been placed in the Library. The tables show the top 100 companies in 2002–03 and the top 200 companies in 2003–04 and 2004–05. The tables are based on the level of detail collected as standard at the time and identify most, but not all, companies where the spend was over £1 million in the year covered. The additional information about companies that would fall below the threshold of these tables but where spend is over £1 million is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the number of employees in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies for each year from 1985–86; what the planned figures are for each year to 2008–09; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to reduce staff numbers in hisDepartment in the next three years; in which areasreductions will be made; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of staff in the Department, broken down by agency or body within the departmental budget, in each year from 1996–97 to 2008–09 (planned); and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was established in June 2001 bringing together the former Department of Social Security, parts of the former Department of Education and Employment including the Employment Service. The number of staff in the new Department at this date was 119,052. Comparable historical staffing figures before this date are not available.
	The breakdown of staffing within the Department and its agencies from April 2002 to March 2005 is in table 1.
	
		Table 1: Staffing numbers 30 April 2002 to 31 March 2005
		
			  30 April 2002 31 March 2003 31 March 2004 31 March 2005 
		
		
			 Jobcentre Plus 86,082 78,564 79,122 73,406 
			 The Pension Service 8,782 17,019 18,567 16,189 
			 Child Support Agency 10,753 11,256 10,779 9,784 
			 Disability and Carers Service 7,380 7,207 7,103 6,506 
			 Appeals Service 925 881 816 752 
			 The Rent Service — — — 718 
			 Other departmental units 12,892 13,898 12,068 11,874 
			 Total 126,814 128,825 128,455 119,229 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are full-time equivalents, are consistent with Cabinet Office definitions and exclude staff on paid maternity leave.
	2. Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service were established on 1 April 2002.
	3. The Rent Service joined the Department from 1 April 2004 from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	4. Disability and Carers Service was granted agency status from 1 November 2004.
	Announced in the 2004 spending review, the Department has plans to reduce overall staff numbers by 30,000 by 31 March 2008. Planned staffing numbers for each year up to 2008 are shown in table 2.
	Between 1 March 2004 to 31 March 2005 staffing reduced by 11,402. Staffing reductions are a feature in all Government office regions.
	
		Table 2: DWP planned staffing numbers
		
			  31 March 2006 31 March 2007 31 March 2008 
		
		
			 Jobcentre Plus 70,200 67,550 65,650 
			 The Pension Service 14,200 13,350 9,200 
			 Child Support Agency 9,400 9,400 9,400 
			 Disability and Carers Service 6,400 5,950 5,550 
			 Appeals Service 750 750 0 
			 The Rent Service 750 650 200 
			 Other departmental units 10,800 10,350 8,450 
			 Total 112,500 108,000 100,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are full-time equivalents rounded to the nearest 50, are consistent with Cabinet Office definitions and exclude staff on paid maternity leave.
	2. Plans are subject to ongoing review.

Disability Premium

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications have been received for the disability premium in each of the last 12 months, broken down by means by which the application was made; how many were refused; how many were subsequently approved on appeal; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available; claimants do not apply for disability premiums paid with income related benefits. The premiums are triggered by the claimant's circumstances and awarded accordingly.

Disabled People (Employment)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the statutory provisions and regulations in force to promote or ensure the employment of disabled people.

James Plaskitt: The relevant provisions and regulations are listed as follows.
	The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 (as amended by the DDA 2005), Part 2, sections 3A to 18E which deals specifically with the employment field, and Part 3 section 21A, which places duties on employment services, are intended to tackle discrimination against disabled people in employment and in the provision of employment services.
	The Disability Rights Commission Act 1999 established the Disability Rights Commission to work towards the elimination of discrimination against disabled people; promote equalisation of opportunities for disabled people; encourage good practice in the treatment of disabled people, and review the working of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (including section 2). In particular, the Disability Rights Commission issues Codes of Practice for the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The Code of Practice on Employment and Occupation came into effect on 1 October 2004 by virtue of SI No 2302 of 2004, Disability Discrimination Codes of Practice (Employment and Occupation, and Trade Organisations and Qualifications Bodies) Appointed Day Order 2004.
	Section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 (replacing repealed sections 2 to 5 in the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944) provides that the Secretary of State shall make such arrangements as are considered appropriate for the purpose of assisting people to select, train for, obtain and retain employment suitable for their ages and capacities, or of assisting people to obtain suitable employees. Specifically, under section 2(2) (b), arrangements may include arrangements for encouraging increases in the opportunities for employment and training that are available to disabled people.
	Sections 15, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 23 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 remain in force. Section 15 makes provision for registered persons who are seriously disabled of employment, or work on their own account, under special conditions. The remaining provisions in force do not specifically promote or ensure the employment of disabled people.
	Section 1 of the Education Act 1994 provides for the establishment of a Teacher Training Agency, with the objectives of contributing to raising the standards of teaching; to promote teaching as a career; to improve the quality and efficiency of all routes into the teaching profession and to secure the involvement of schools in all courses and programmes for the initial training of school teachers. In exercising their functions, the Teacher Training Agency shall have regard to the requirements of ,people who are disabled for the purposes of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (section 1(4) of the Education Act 1994).
	Ancillary to the above provisions, the Learning and Skills Council are required, when exercising their functions (which include the provision of proper facilities for education and training taking into account, among others matters, the education and training required in different sections of employment for employees and potential employees, sections 2 and 3 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000) to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between people who are disabled and those who are not, by virtue of section 14(1 )(c) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000.
	In addition, working tax credits are available for disabled people working at least 16 hours per week by virtue of sections 10 and 11 of the Tax Credit Act 2002. This replaces the previous benefits of the disabled person's tax credits and disabled persons working allowance, for which some regulations are still in force.

Disability Living Allowance

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Lanark and Hamilton, East constituency are in receipt of the disability living allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Jimmy Hood, dated 18 July 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency are currently in receipt of disability living allowance. The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	The requested information is not available. This is because Lanark and Hamilton East is one of the new Scottish constituencies formed following the recent boundary changes. We currently only have information based on the previous constituency boundaries, as at February 2005. Information about the new constituencies will not be available until the autumn.
	I am sorry I cannot be more helpful at this time.

Economic Inactivity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the level of economic inactivity.

Stephen Timms: There are 7.9 million people of working age who are economically inactive, about a fifth of the working age population. The main groups classed as economically inactive are students and those who are long-term sick or disabled. Also included within this group are those people who undertake valuable caring responsibilities. Other main reasons for inactivity are retirement and temporary sickness.

Employment Projects Fund/Transport Projects Fund

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the future funding of the (a) Employment Projects Fund and (b) Transport Projects Fund.
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the (a) Employment Programme Fund and (b) Transport Programme Fund in helping to overcome barriers to employment; how much money has been spent by each programme; how many people have been helped into work by each programme, broken down by region; how much money has been spent under each programme by each provider; and how many people have been helped into work by each provider;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Action Team for Jobs programme in helping economically inactive people into work since its introduction; and what plans he has to continue Action Team for jobs beyond March 2006.

Stephen Timms: The Employment Projects and Transport Projects Fund enabled Action Teams for Jobs to bid for additional money for initiatives that help support disadvantaged people into employment.
	Funding was provided for projects that could bring long term benefits to the wider community and included: payment for childcare facilities; the funding of new bus routes to connect housing estates to new businesses, and car leasing schemes. Such initiatives have helped contribute to the success Action Teams have had in supporting more than 133,500 people into work.
	Action Teams are funded until March 2006. We are currently reviewing the most effective and efficient method of providing employment support to disadvantaged people in the most deprived areas of the country. As part of this review, applications to the Employment Project and Transport Project Fund have been suspended although existing projects and any approved bids will continue to be funded.
	There have been 91 Employment Projects Fund applications and 47 Transport Projects Fund applications have been approved. The amount approved for each Fund by region and by provider is in the table.
	
		Approved applications to the Employment Projects and Transport Projects Fund by region and provider
		
			 Region Employment projects fund (£) Transport projects fund (£) 
		
		
			 Wales 1,931,250.82 832,180.00 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 392,924.00 95,960.63 
			 West Midlands 300,204.00 0.00 
			 South West 805,813.00 205,409.95 
			 South East 302,225.00 0.00 
			 Scotland 747,015.49 393,857.74 
			 North West 508,872.90 296,970.00 
			 North East 1,174,703.10 1,054,804.00 
			 Total 6,163,008.31 2,879,182.32 
			
			 Provider   
			 Jobcentre Plus 4,839,631.21 1,851,722.32 
			 Working Links 857,355.10 832,180.00 
			 Reed in Partnership 441,022.00 117,500.00 
			 Dingle Opportunities 25,000.00 77,780.00 
			 Total 6,163,008.31 2,879,182.32 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Data is to July 2005.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Jobseeker Support Division.
	The number of people helped into work by Action Teams for Jobs, broken down by provider and region is in the table.
	
		People helped into work by Action Teams,by Provider and Region
		
			 Provider Number 
		
		
			 Jobcentre Plus 84,359 
			 Celtec 178 
			 Reed in Partnership 19,292 
			 Pertemps Employment Alliance 3,743 
			 Working Links 17,830 
			 Glasgow North 2,538 
			 East End Partnership 2,486 
			 Dingle Opportunities 1,176 
			 Tower Hamlets Partnership 2,192 
			 Total 133,794 
			   
			 Region  
			 West Midlands 9,649 
			 Wales 13,987 
			 London 22,482 
			 South East 2,799 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 8,067 
			 Scotland 19,104 
			 North West 30,947 
			 North East 21,051 
			 East Midlands 2,341 
			 South West 3,367 
			 Total 133,794 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Data is to April 2005.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Jobseeker Support and Contracting Policy and Support Divisions.

Employment Target

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out the baseline against which progress towards the 80 per cent. employment target will be measured; when he expects the target to be achieved; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: An employment rate equivalent to 80 per cent. of the working age population in work is a long-term and challenging aim.
	With unemployment at low levels, helping economically inactive people into work is crucial to achieving our aim. Building on recent reforms we intend to go further to:
	support more children and families; including helping more lone parents into work by making work possible and making work pay;
	help more people on incapacity benefits to get the support they need to fulfil their ambitions to return to work and achieve independence;
	further break down the barriers that prevent disabled people, older people, ethnic minorities and others at a disadvantage in the labour market from moving back into work.
	We are currently discussing the baseline against which progress towards 80 per cent. employment will be measured.

Families and Children Study

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the Families and Children Study no longer identifies separately married, cohabiting and step families; and if he will revert to providing this breakdown at the first opportunity.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The Families and Children Study collects a wealth of information. Because of the quantity of variables on the dataset it is not practical to include all of these in the annual reports. Judgments are made about which information is most relevant to the Government Departments sponsoring the study. The report Family life in Britain: findings from the 2003 Families and Children Study", which is available in the Library, describes families as either lone parent or couple families as this is consistent with how DWP clients are segmented in welfare-to-work programmes and the benefit system. We have no plans to change this.
	The full datasets, including variables indicating the nature of the relationship between all individuals in a household, are made publicly available through the Economic Social and Research Council data archive, as is standard practice for surveys commissioned by this Department.

Housing Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will break down the housing benefit case load by (a) (i) elderly, (ii) unemployed, (iii) disabled and (iv) single parent client group, (b) age and (c) region in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information has been placed in the Library.

Housing Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of new housing benefit claims were successful in each year since 1997, broken down by region;
	(2)  how many new housing benefit claims were made in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) basis of claim and (b) region.

James Plaskitt: A breakdown of information by the basis for which a claim was made is not available. The available information has been placed in the Library.

HSC 10-year Plan

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made against the targets contained in the Health and Safety Commission's Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy 10-year Plan published in June 2000.

Margaret Hodge: The health and safety statistics for 2004–05 will be published in the autumn. These will provide the latest information on progress against the Government and HSC/E's targets.

Identity Cards

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of equipping his Department's premises with identity card readers;

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of (a) the cost and (b) the merits of checking the biometric identities of individuals receiving benefits and services through his Department.

Stephen Timms: We have been working with the Home Office to identify areas where the identity cards scheme could provide business benefits. On 28 June 2005, my right hon. friend, the Home Secretary placed in the Library a paper containing the latest estimates of benefits of the identity cards scheme which shows that the benefits outweigh the costs once the scheme is fully operational.
	The cost of equipping premises will depend on the nature of the use of the identity cards scheme and the type of identity check(s) necessary to deliver the business benefits. In some cases, benefits could be realised without the use of card readers and the cost of installing any readers needs to be considered alongside future plans to refresh or upgrade IT systems. As the design of the scheme matures, during and after the procurement exercise, so will our understanding of where the scheme will be of most benefit which will allow us to further refine our estimates of costs and benefits.
	We have conducted a high level assessment of the number of card readers that will be required by the Department. Our initial estimate is that in the region of 4,500 readers may be required. The Home Office currently estimate the cost of a card reader would fall within the range of £250—£750 depending on their level of sophistication and performance.
	Detailed work is being undertaken on how the Department will make use of checking the biometric identities of individuals. This will become clearer following further definition of the identity card scheme and DWP business requirements for interaction with the scheme are fully known. However the use of the biometric identity card will facilitate the verification of customer identity and improve customer service. From a counter fraud perspective the production of a biometric identity card will stop an individual registering a claim to benefit in more than one identity.

Incapacity Benefit

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of incapacity benefit there were on average in each social services authority in (a) 2001 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested. The information for local authorities in Great Britain has been placed in the Library.

Incapacity Benefit

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new claimants aged (a) 20 to 29, (b) 30 to 39, (c) 40 to 49 and (d) 50 to 59 years were awarded incapacity benefit in (i) each standard English region, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland in each of the last five years; and what percentage this represented of the population in each age group in each year.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 27 June 2005
	The information has been placed in the Library.

Incapacity Benefit

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Scotland are in receipt of incapacity benefit; how much money was allocated to incapacity benefit in Scotland in 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The incapacity benefit caseload in Scotland for 2004–05 was 326,900.
	The incapacity related benefits expenditure in Scotland for 2004–05 was £1,453,000,000 in cash terms.
	Notes:
	1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest hundred and shown in thousands.
	2. The Caseload figures relate to 2004–05.
	3. Incapacity-related benefits are Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) and Income Support (IS) with a disability premium—credits only IB/SDA cases are also included.
	4. Working age claimants are men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59.
	5. Expenditure figures are 2004–05 estimated outturn and are consistent with the DWP Budget 2005 Expenditure Tables on the Internet.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, 5 per cent. Working Age Client Group samples.

Income Support

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the disregard for income support claimants of working age would be if it had been annually increased in line with (a) prices and (b) earnings.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is in the table.
	
		The value of income support disregards if indexed to retail prices index(RPI)/average earnings index(AEI) since introduction. -- (£ per week)
		
			   Single Couple Lone parent/sick and disabled/carers 
		
		
			 1987 Actual disregard in 1987 5.00 15.00 15.00 
			  Value at 2005 if uprated with RPI 9.60 28.85 28.85 
			  Value at 2005 if uprated with Earnings 12.75 38.35 38.35 
			 1997 Actual disregard in 1997 5.00 10.00 15.00 
			  Value at 2005 if uprated with RPI 6.15 12.20 18.45 
			  Value at 2005 if uprated with Earnings 6.95 14.00 20.85 
			 2001 Actual disregard in 2001 5.00 10.00 20.00 
			  Value at 2005 if uprated with RPI 5.50 10.95 21.95 
			  Value at 2005 if uprated with Earnings 5.85 11.70 23.40 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. RPI/AEI as published by the Office for National Statistics.
	2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 pence at each uprating.
	Source:
	Information Directorate (IFD)

Income Support

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost of processing a claim for income support using the Customer Management System (CMS) is; and what the cost was (a) prior to the introduction of CMS and (b) where the system has yet to be introduced.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 30 August 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning what the average cost of processing a claim for Income Support using the Customer Management System (CMS) is; what the cost was (a) prior to the introduction of CMS and (b) where the system has yet to be introduced. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	In answer to the first part of your question, the implementation of CMS is being progressed on an office-by-office basis along with various other new initiatives. Unit cost data is generated at this level but you will appreciate that this is not the only change impacting on districts over this period of time. You will also appreciate that the significant changes in processing necessitated by CMS mean that some costs are now incurred in different parts of the business. Due to these complexities work to correctly evaluate the impact of CMS implementation has not as yet been completed and I am not currently in a position to provide this data.
	However, as part of the original business case, a work study exercise was performed on the part of the Income Support claim process affected by CMS. This identified that pre-CMS, the average cost of this part of the process was £17.40. After CMS is introduced the average cost is expected to fall to £15.09, representing an average saving per claim of £2.31. Jobcentre Plus processes approximately 900,000 new Income Support claims per annum. This would imply an annual saving in the region of £2 million, but this does not take into account all the other benefits arising from more efficient management of customer information.
	Nevertheless, when CMS has been fully rolled out across Jobcentre Plus we will be able to compare costs before and after implementation. We are currently intending to perform a full post-implementation evaluation in Spring 2006 when more detailed unit cost information will be available. However, as other initiatives are being implemented in Jobcentre Plus, changes in unit costs may not necessarily be directly attributable to CMS introduction.
	Regarding the second part of your question, up to the week commencing 11 July 2005, CMS had been introduced in 24 contact centres and 437 Jobcentre Plus offices around the country, and has yet to be introduced in approximately 62% of the network.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jamie Holyoake

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to refund the back-dated income support owed to Jamie Holyoake of Kingsbridge following the decision of the Appeal Tribunal on 16 June at Exeter (registration no. U/03/194/2005/00149).

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. Anthony Steen, dated 30 August 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply direct to your question concerning payment of Income Support for Mr Jamie Holyoake of Kingsbridge, following an appeal tribunal decision. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Details of benefit claims are confidential and I will write to you directly on the matter in question.

Jobcentres

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Minister for Economic Development of the National Assembly for Wales Government regarding job losses arising out of the reconfiguration of jobcentre services on Wales.

Margaret Hodge: There have been no specific discussions with the Minister for Economic Development at the Welsh Assembly Government regarding job losses and Jobcentre Plus office closures in Wales however the Department has engaged with many other Welsh representatives on these issues. I have asked the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie, to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. Hywel Williams, dated 30 August 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to write in response to your question regarding discussions he has had with the Minister for Economic Development at the Welsh Assembly Government about job losses arising out of the reconfiguration of Jobcentre services in Wales. The administration of Jobcentre Plus is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive.
	I am aware that the Secretary of State for Wales and the First Minister have discussed the effect of the Efficiency Review on Civil Service jobs in Wales on a number of occasions.
	In November last year Sheelagh Keyse, the Jobcentre Plus Director for Wales met with Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, to discuss the impact of the changes to service delivery and office closures. At that meeting Mrs Keyse gave an assurance that Jobcentre Plus was committed to avoiding redundancies as far as possible by redeployment, transfers to other Government Departments and Voluntary Early Release Schemes.
	Jobcentre Plus is working closely with other Government Departments in Wales, including the Assembly, to ensure that staff affected by these changes have access to other Civil Service vacancies. Compulsory redundancies will only be used as a last resort, where all alternative measures have failed.
	I also know that the Jobcentre Plus Management Team in Wales have kept Assembly Members, Members of Parliament and other partners informed of the proposed changes, at regular intervals. They have held a number of meetings with interested parties and as we move to new ways of delivering our services, we will continue to keep everyone fully informed.

Jobcentres

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential change in the number of Welsh speakers employed in jobcentres following reconfiguration of the organisation;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of reconfiguration on jobcentres' ability to provide services to the public through the medium of the Welsh language; and what steps he is taking to ensure that this ability is maintained.

Stephen Timms: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Mark Fisher to Hywel Williams
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply direct to your questions concerning Jobcentre Plus' Modernisation Programme and the impact upon its Welsh Language service. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Lesley Strathie as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. As she is currently on leave I am responding on her behalf.
	Firstly, I must re-affirm Jobcentre Plus' commitment to providing a fully bi-lingual service to our customers in Wales. Although we will be changing the way we deliver some of our services, it is not envisaged that these changes will have an adverse effect upon our Welsh Language service.
	The provision of an effective Welsh Language service is no longer dependent upon the existence of a large number of public facing offices. We are conducting more of our business by telephone or on-line. Where it is necessary to see a customer in person this is generally done by appointment, allowing enough time to arrange for a suitably skilled member of staff to conduct the interview in the customer's language of choice.
	You will no doubt recall that David Anderson, the former Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, wrote to you in September last year, in response to your earlier question about our Welsh Language service. In his letter, Mr Anderson outlined the steps we were taking to safeguard this service, which included our plans for a new Contact Centre in Bangor, North Wales and I am now in a position to confirm that our Bangor site will open in April 2006, providing employment opportunities for up to 330 staff.
	Whilst I am unable to say specifically how many of our Welsh speaking staff, or for that matter their English speaking colleagues, will be affected by the changes in the way we deliver our services, the availability of Welsh speakers, amongst both our existing workforce and, more generally, the local population, was a key influencing factor when deciding to locate to Bangor. We envisage that a minimum of 50 staff, at this site, will be engaged full-time, in providing a dedicated Welsh Language service to our customers.
	Jobcentre Plus also has a long-standing commitment to encourage and support existing members of staff wishing to learn Welsh or improve their ability to speak Welsh in the workplace.
	I am confident that the commitments we have entered into in the Department's Welsh Language Scheme, along with our significant investment in Bangor, will mean that Jobcentre Plus is well placed to provide a robust Welsh Language service for many years to come.

Jobseekers Allowance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have moved from claiming jobseekers' allowance (a) to work, (b) to training and (c) to other benefits, broken down by benefit received in each of the last four years.

James Plaskitt: The available information requested is in the table.
	
		JSA off-flows by reason in Great Britain: July 2001 to June 2005
		
			 Month Found work Increases work to 16+ hours/week Claimed income support Claimed incapacity benefit Claimed another benefit Gone onto approved training Transfer to Government-supported training 
		
		
			 July 2001 95,160 4,115 4,390 9,955 2,555 715 10,490 
			 August 2001 93,025 3,680 4,180 9,165 2,395 710 10,025 
			 September 2001 130,645 3,720 5,190 11,020 2,970 1,060 16,355 
			 October 2001 110,570 3,240 4,130 9,250 2,255 1,050 13,820 
			 November 2001 101,435 2,980 4,175 9,075 2,340 600 13,245 
			 December 2001 115,545 3,485 4,755 10,475 2,545 680 17,285 
			 January 2002 54,520 2,810 2,950 5,750 1,590 265 6,715 
			 February 2002 131,960 3,935 5,970 12,845 3,130 1,040 19,935 
			 March 2002 110,945 2,930 4,450 9,580 2,360 850 15,230 
			 April 2002 105,765 3,030 4,055 8,585 2,135 660 12,940 
			 May 2002 104,990 2,700 4,370 9,255 2,230 680 13,930 
			 June 2002 113,860 3,240 5,275 11,085 2,670 765 16,645 
			 July 2002 93,400 3,045 4,610 9,455 2,335 585 15,585 
			 August 2002 91,645 3,350 4,535 9,040 2,290 580 13,565 
			 September 2002 127,360 3,520 5,390 10,770 2,795 940 17,410 
			 October 2002 106,760 2,940 4,585 9,075 2,440 885 15,785 
			 November 2002 123,805 3,520 5,665 11,275 2,870 640 17,270 
			 December 2002 88,035 2,600 4,080 7,880 2,050 490 13,505 
			 January 2003 48,205 2,500 2,945 5,280 1,510 215 6,350 
			 February 2003 122,385 3,480 6,285 12,395 3,385 955 20,830 
			 March 2003 105,905 2,725 4,680 9,450 2,655 745 15,935 
			 April 2003 105,260 2,505 4,430 9,225 2,420 740 15,480 
			 May 2002 85,100 2,330 3,925 7,625 2,050 515 12,555 
			 June 2003 113,325 3,140 5,520 10,735 3,075 760 18,465 
			 July 2003 88,155 2,610 4,640 9,120 2,600 500 15,290 
			 August 2003 106,840 3,295 5,435 10,455 3,025 550 16,920 
			 September 2003 98,475 2,465 4,450 7,945 2,395 695 13,900 
			 October 2003 100,920 2,485 4,370 8,400 2,440 860 14,905 
			 November 2003 117,085 3,100 5,430 10,295 2,925 620 17,235 
			 December 2003 82,710 2,220 3,755 7,505 2,125 440 13,520 
			 January 2004 45,000 2,115 2,840 4,785 1,570 180 6,250 
			 February 2004 114,935 3,050 5,790 11,525 3,405 810 20,365 
			 March 2004 97,025 2,435 4,225 8,710 2,675 665 14,760 
			 April 2004 92,900 2,130 3,985 8,015 2,360 650 14,145 
			 May 2004 103,980 2,495 4,755 9,170 2,775 645 15,580 
			 June 2004 83,400 2,130 3,960 7,745 2,565 470 13,720 
			 July 2004 77,960 1,920 4,115 8,290 2,600 385 14,350 
			 August 2004 90,765 2,500 4,885 9,425 3,130 425 16,940 
			 September 2004 81,110 1,895 3,790 7,310 2,325 460 14,020 
			 October 2004 107,505 2,500 5,070 9,605 2,920 800 18,545 
			 November 2004 81,405 1,950 3,985 7,375 2,285 355 13,900 
			 December 2004 75,420 1,865 3,700 7,055 2,095 400 14,005 
			 January 2005 55,945 2,055 3,620 6,055 1,980 245 10,320 
			 February 2005 79,295 1,910 4,285 8,030 2,570 575 16,055 
			 March 2005 82,125 1,930 3,970 7,625 2,505 570 15,390 
			 April 2005 97,290 2,070 4,555 8,475 2,785 570 15,690 
			 May 2005 73,995 1,710 3,890 7,340 2,265 515 12,415 
			 June 2005 71,930 1,750 3,945 7,180 2,270 485 12,105 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Caseloads have been rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Based on 100 per cent. claimant count.
	3. Figures refer to number of awards and not people flowing off JSA.
	4. Claimants can flow on and off benefit more than once.
	Source:
	Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (computer held cases only).

Jobseekers Allowance

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency received jobseeker's allowance in 2004; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available. This is because any figures are snapshots of claimants at a given time. We do not have claimant start or end dates to benefit and cannot therefore produce an annual figure. An overestimate would therefore occur because claimants may appear in more than one monthly figure, when the figures are collected.
	However I am able to give you information on the monthly average of people receiving jobseekers allowance (JSA) and a month by month breakdown. It is only possible to provide an average on eleven months of figures as NOMIS only holds historic data going back to February 2004 on the new parliamentary constituency boundaries which came into effect in 2005.
	The eleven month average of JSA claimants in Scotland is 93,768 and in Lanark and Hamilton parliamentary constituency is 1,511.
	The month by month breakdown is in the table.
	
		JSA Claimants in Scotland and Lanark and Hamilton East parliamentary constituency, February 2004 to December 2004
		
			 2004 Scotland Lanark and Hamilton East PC 
		
		
			 February 106,896 1,758 
			 March 103,519 1,681 
			 April 99,027 1,546 
			 May 94,507 1,430 
			 June 92,406 1,468 
			 July 94,080 1,522 
			 August 94,494 1,527 
			 September 88,401 1,416 
			 October 86,025 1,452 
			 November 86,053 1,402 
			 December 86,043 1,418 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are unrounded.
	2. NOMIS figures include clerically held cases.
	3. Based on 100 per cent. claimant count.
	4. Figures are not available for January 2004.
	Source:
	Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (including clerically held cases).

Lone Parents (Great Grimsby)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance is available to lone parents who wish to return to work in the Great Grimsby constituency area; how many people took up this assistance in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Work focused interviews provide lone parents with the opportunity to discuss work options and find out about the help available to them through the new deal for lone parents. The new deal offers lone parents access to support, advice and training which will improve their employment prospects. Other measures to tackle barriers to lone parents entering work include improving the availability of affordable child care and making work pay through the introduction of child tax credit and working tax credit.
	1,700 lone parents have started the new deal for lone parents in Great Grimsby since the beginning of the programme in October 1998, and 950 have gained a job. Figures for lone parents who have participated in and gained work through other new deal programmes are not available.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Stephen Timms: Information for 2002–03 and 2003–04 is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information for 2004–05 is as follows.
	
		Top five management consultancies—highest value single contract
		
			 £ million 
			 Consultancy Original contract value 
		
		
			 PA Consulting 3,374,680 
			 KPMG 1,699,150 
			 IBM 1,269,798 
			 PA Consulting 1,188,220 
			 PwC 1,139,000 
		
	
	
		Top five management consultancies—highest total value of contacts
		
			  £000 
			 Consultancy Total expenditure 
		
		
			 CapGemini 45,870,317 
			 IBM 33,975,211 
			 BoozeAllen Hamilton 17,300,000 
			 PA Consulting 13,573,955 
			 Deloitte 4,828,914 
		
	
	The Department awards contracts in open and fair competition in accordance with EU procurement regulations based on best value for money.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions spending on management consultancy over the last three financial years was:
	£47.79 million in 2002–03;
	£223.35 million in 2003–04; and
	£98.64 million in 2004–05.
	Spend is now reducing from the peak in 2003–04 which represented the middle of the Department's major modernisation programme with its high requirement for external expertise.

Marginal Deduction Rates

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have had marginal deduction rates of more than (a) 30 per cent., (b) 40 per cent., (c) 50 per cent., (d) 60 per cent., (e) 70 per cent., (f) 80 per cent., (g) 90 per cent. and (h) 100 per cent. in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available in the format requested. There were 770,000 pensioner households (952,000 individuals) receiving the guarantee element of pension credit only at March 2005. Income is brought fully into account in these cases, although they are not subject to separate benefit withdrawal of council tax benefit or housing benefit (CTB/HB). There were an additional 1,346,000 pensioner households (1,554,000 individuals) receiving both the guarantee and savings credit elements of pension credit at March 2005. These households would be subject to marginal deduction rates (MDRs) of at least 40 per cent.
	There were an estimated additional 390,000 pensioner households (510,000 individuals) with incomes above guarantee element levels, but receiving both tapered housing benefit (HB) and tapered council tax benefit CTB). These households would be subject to marginal deduction rates (MDRs) of less than 100 per cent., though they would often exceed 85 pence in the pound.
	All recipients of the minimum income guarantee (MIG) were subject to MDRs of 100 per cent. At May 1997, there were 1,720,000 MIG households (1,986,000 individuals). These people are now entitled to pension credit and many of them—of the order of 60 per cent. of those in private households—are also benefiting from the savings element of pension credit. As a result of pension credit, this 60 per cent. no longer face MDRs of 100 per cent. In addition, at May 1997 there were 630,000 pensioner households (820,000 individuals) with incomes above guarantee element levels, but receiving both tapered HB and tapered CTB. These households would be subject to MDRs of less than 100 per cent., though they would often exceed 85 pence in the pound.
	Notes:
	1. MIG and HB/CTB figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	2. Pension credit, MIG and HB/CTB are awarded to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
	3. Pension credit and MIG figures are rounded to the nearest thousand. Due to the estimation procedure to produce the figures for HB/CTB and the collection procedures in Scotland, HB/CTB figures are rounded to the nearest ten thousand.
	Source:
	Information directorate, Department for Work and Pensions. Pension credit data from 100 per cent. extract and MIG data from 5 per cent. extract of income support computer system at March 2005 and May 1997 respectively. HB/CTB data from housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2003 and 1997.

Maximum Working Temperatures

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to issue guidelines on maximum working temperatures; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working to enhance existing guidance on thermal comfort in the workplace aimed at employees, employers and other interested parties.
	The HSE is working on a new website, which will be launched within the next few weeks. The website has been designed to provide a step-by-step approach to the management, assessment and control of thermal comfort, and includes a number of tools and aide-memoirs to help both employers and employees.
	There is also a facility to provide feedback and to join in a debate with other website users. HSE will be using the responses to improve and supplement the website and guidance over the next 12 months.

New Deal

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the rate of continuing employment was for those placed under each of the new deal schemes after (a) 13 weeks, (b) 26 weeks and (c) 52 weeks in the last period for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: Information is not available on the length of time individuals have spent in jobs gained through the new deal.
	The available information on the number of individuals gaining jobs through new deal, and the proportion of those not returning to claim a working age benefit within 13, 26, and 52 weeks is in the tables.
	
		New deal for young people
		
			   Proportion of those gaining a job who have not claimed a subsequent working age benefit (percentage) 
			  Number of people gaining a job Within 13 weeks Within 26 weeks Within 52 weeks 
		
		
			 January 1998 to June 1999 102,090 — — — 
			 July 1999 to February 2004 384,800 79 62 47 
			 March 2004 to March 2005 75,420 — — — 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information from the longitudinal study is available from July 1999—February 2005. To enable information to be provided on those not returning to claim a working age benefit within 52 weeks, this data is provided up to February 2004.
	2. Information on the proportion not claiming a subsequent benefit excludes people who continued an existing benefit claim after starting employment.
	3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages are calculated on unrounded figures.
	Sources:
	New Deal Evaluation Database, Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.
	
		New deal for25 plus
		
			   Proportion of those gaining a job who have not claimed a subsequent working age benefit (percentage) 
			  Number of people gaining a job Within 13 weeks Within 26 weeks Within 52 weeks 
		
		
			 January 1998 to June 1999 18,560 — — — 
			 July 1999 to February 2004 160,780 81 68 55 
			 March 2004 to March 2005 42,050 — — — 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information from the longitudinal study is available from July 1999—February 2005. To enable information to be provided on those not returning to claim a working age benefit within 52 weeks, this data is provided up to February 2004.
	2. Information on the proportion not claiming a subsequent benefit excludes people who continued an existing benefit claim after starting employment.
	3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages are calculated on unrounded figures.
	Sources:
	New Deal Evaluation Database, Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.
	
		New deal for lone parents
		
			   Proportion of those gaining a job who have not claimed a subsequent working age benefit (percentage) 
			  Number of people gaining a job Within 13 weeks Within 26 weeks Within 52 weeks 
		
		
			 January 1998 to June 1999 16,780 — — — 
			 July 1999 to February 2004 244,040 93 84 74 
			 March 2004 to March 2005 71,210 — — — 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information from the DWP Work and Pensions longitudinal study is available from July 1999—February 2005. To enable information to be provided on those not returning to claim a working age benefit within 52 weeks, this data is provided up to February 2004.
	2. Information on the proportion not claiming a subsequent benefit excludes people who continued an existing benefit claim after starting employment.
	3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages are calculated on unrounded figures.
	Sources:
	New Deal Evaluation Database, Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.
	
		New deal for disabled people
		
			   Proportion of those gaining a job who have not claimed a subsequent working age benefit (percentage) 
			  Number of people gaining a job Within 13 weeks Within 26 weeks Within 52 weeks 
		
		
			 July 2001 to February 2004 27,610 89 82 74 
			 March 2004 to March 2005 34,450 — — — 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information from the DWP Work and Pensions longitudinal study is available from July 1999—February 2005. To enable information to be provided on those not returning to claim a working age benefit within 52 weeks, this data is provided up to February 2004.
	2. Information on the proportion not claiming a subsequent benefit excludes people who continued an existing benefit claim after starting employment.
	3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages are calculated on unrounded figures.
	Sources:
	New Deal Evaluation Database, Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.
	
		New deal 50 plus
		
			   Proportion of those gaining a job who have not claimed a subsequent working age benefit (percentage) 
			  Number of people gaining a job Within 13 weeks Within 26 weeks Within 52 weeks 
		
		
			 April 2000 to March 2003 98,060 — — — 
			 April 2003 to February 2004 20,650 80 71 61 
			 March 2004 to March 2005 18,580 — — — 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Number of people gaining a job between April 2000 and March 2003 relates to starts to the new deal 50 plus employment credit. Information is not available on the period of time elapsing before people return to claim a working age benefit.
	2. Figures from April 2003 to March 2005 are national statistics on people gaining a job through the new deal 50 plus programme.
	3. Information from the DWP Work and Pensions longitudinal study is available to February 2005. To enable information to be provided on those not returning to claim a working age benefit within 52 weeks, this data is provided up to February 2004.
	4. Information on the proportion not claiming a subsequent benefit excludes people who continued an existing benefit claim after starting employment.
	5. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages are calculated on unrounded figures.
	Sources:
	New Deal Evaluation Database, Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.
	
		New deal for partners
		
			  Number of people gaining a job 
		
		
			 May 1999 to March 2004 1,860 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information is not available on the period of time elapsing before people return to claim a working age benefit.
	2. Information is for people getting a job through the programme.
	3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Sources: New Deal Evaluation Database, Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate.

New Deal

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) Lanark and Hamilton East entered the New Deal programme in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The available information for new deal in Scotland is in the following tables, however information for Lanark and Hamilton East is not available as this became a new constituency from May 2005.
	
		New deal for young people in Scotland
		
			 Period Individual starts Individuals into work 
		
		
			 January 1998 to March 1998 560 80 
			 April 1998 to March 1999 16,530 8,040 
			 April 1999 to March 2000 14,020 12,240 
			 April 2000 to March 2001 12,220 10,500 
			 April 2001 to March 2002 12,870 8,930 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 14,290 8,930 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 17,710 9,040 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 17,370 9,150 
		
	
	
		New deal 25 plus in Scotland
		
			 Period Individual starts Individuals into work 
		
		
			 July 1998 to March 1999 4,910 980 
			 April 1999 to March 2000 7,140 2,230 
			 April 2000 to March 2001 6,230 2,500 
			 April 2001 to March 2002 10,890 4,260 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 11,610 5,220 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 11,400 5,040 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 11,450 4,910 
		
	
	
		New deal for lone parents in Scotland
		
			 Period Individual starts Individuals into work 
		
		
			 October 1998 to March1999 2,980 960 
			 April 1999 to March 2000 5,520 4,190 
			 April 2000 to March 2001 5,690 4,330 
			 April 2001 to March 2002 8,180 5,470 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 10,580 6,710 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 13,470 7,340 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 17,000 7,570 
		
	
	
		New deal for disabled people in Scotland
		
			 Period Individual starts Individuals into work 
		
		
			 July 2001 to March 2002 1,320 200 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 4,010 1,280 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 4,240 2,460 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 7,120 4,070 
		
	
	
		New deal 50 plus in Scotland
		
			 Period Individuals into work 
		
		
			 April 2000 to March 2001 4,110 
			 April 2001 to March 2002 4,060 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 4,010 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 3,130 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 2,410 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures for new deal 50 plus relate to employment credit starts for the period April 2000 to March 2003, and to people gaining a job through the new deal 50 plus between April 2003 and March 2005.
	2. Information is only available on individuals into work for new deal 50 plus.
	3. Information for people starting and gaining a job in Scotland is not available for new deal for partners.
	4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Northern Way Agenda

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State forWork and Pensions what mechanisms are in place toco-ordinate Welfare to Work policies with the Northern Way agenda of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

James Plaskitt: This is an important area for partnership between DWP and the three Departments—the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, HM Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry—with responsibility for the regional economic performance PSA target. DWP has given its support to the objectives of the REP PSA and is represented on the steering group that co-ordinates government activity aimed at meeting the target.
	Over 90 per cent. of local authorities in Great Britain have an employment rate above the EU average. Low employment is concentrated in a relatively small number of areas across the country, particularly in our major cities, some former industrial areas and some coastal towns, including Hartlepool.
	DWP's PSA targets support the Government's wider agenda by aiming to raise employment rates, especially for groups and areas of the country that currently lag behind the national average. Central to achieving this is the work of Jobcentre Plus and programmes such as new deal, which concentrate resources on areas with concentrations of long-term unemployment and economic inactivity. In addition there are locally focused programmes such as action teams that provide additional support in particularly disadvantaged areas.
	Initiatives such as the Northern Way complement this approach by providing further help and support on top of existing welfare to work policies. The Northern Way has recognised the importance of tackling the number of people on incapacity benefits. The last year has seen the numbers on these benefits nationally fall for the first time in several decades, partly through the success of Jobcentre Plus, the new deal and pathways to work. Although the improvement has been concentrated in the areas with the highest rates of benefit receipt, parts of the north-east and other regions continue to have disproportionate numbers claiming incapacity benefits.

Part-time Study Rules

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to complete the review of the part-time study rules for jobseeker's allowance and housing benefit recipients.

James Plaskitt: The review of the part-time study rules is complete. As a result of that review we will be trialling an Adult Learning Option from autumn 2006 in two or three Jobcentre Plus districts in England. The pilot will test the effectiveness of providing financial support for adult Jobcentre Plus customers whose current qualification is below Level 2 to enable them to take up a first full Level 2 qualification through Learning and Skills Council funded provision. Study will be full-time for those taking up the option. At the same time, for those on Jobseekers Allowance who do not take up the learning option, the benefit rules will be strengthened to ensure that any learning is genuinely part-time and does not interfere with job search activity.

Pathways to Work

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has been made of the effect on people of being subject to Pathways to Work related sanctions in the pilot area.

Stephen Timms: People claiming incapacity benefit in Pathways to Work areas may be sanctioned for failing to attend or take part in a work focused interview (WFI) with a Jobcentre Plus personal adviser.
	As part of the evaluation of the pathways pilots the Department has commissioned studies to examine the experiences of incapacity benefit customers and personal advisers; this will include sanctions.

Pathways to Work

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on incapacity benefit in each of the Pathways to Work areas have had a work focussed interview (a) waived or (b) deferred.

Margaret Hodge: The information is in the following table:
	
		Initial work focused interviews (WFI) waived or deferred in each of the seven pathways to work pilots to March 2005
		
			 District WFI deferred WFI waived 
		
		
			 Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute 291 771 
			 Derbyshire 869 1,074 
			 Bridgend, Rhondda, Cynon and Taff 518 925 
			 Essex 721 1,150 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 270 358 
			 Somerset 197 350 
			 Lancashire East 546 823 
			 Total 3,412 5,451 
		
	
	Source:
	DWP statistics

Pathways to Work

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on incapacity benefit who are (a) mandatory and (b) voluntary participants of the Pathways to Work pilots have taken up (i) condition management programmes, (ii) new deal for disabled people, (iii) Access to Work and (iv) return to work credit.

James Plaskitt: Information on the take up of Access to Work among participants of the Pathways to Work pilots is not available. The available information is in the table.
	
		Participants in the Pathways to Work pilots who have taken up Condition Management Programmes (CMP), New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP) and Return to Work Credit (RTWC)
		
			  CMP NDDP RTWC 
		
		
			 Mandatory 4,234 4,551 4,704 
			 Voluntary 679 1,105 2,693 
			 Total 4,913 5,656 7,397 
		
	
	Note:
	All figures to March 2005.

Pathways to Work

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total expenditure per job obtained under (a) the new deal for disabled people and (b) the incapacity benefit Pathways to Work pilots has been.

James Plaskitt: The average cost of helping an individual into work through new deal for disabled people is £3,948 1 .
	As the Pathways pilots are still at an early stage, information on cost per individual moving into work is not yet available.
	1 Based on costs and individuals into work up to March 2004.

Pathways to Work

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish his Department's latest assessment of the Pathways to Work pilots.

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the Pathways to Work pilot schemes are being evaluated; and when the findings will be published.

James Plaskitt: The Department has commissioned a consortium of organisations led by the Policy Studies Institute to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Pathways to Work pilots. This involves research with incapacity benefit customers, jobcentre plus staff and service providers and includes qualitative and quantitative assessments of process and outcomes.
	The Department has published the following reports as part of the evaluation of the Pathways to Work pilots.
	Incapacity Benefit Reforms—Early findings from qualitative research", the National Centre for Social Research, DWP report no 202 (published September 2004).
	Incapacity Benefit Reforms—The Personal Adviser Role & Practices", the National Centre for Social Research, DWP report no 212 (published November 2004).
	IB Reforms Pilot: Findings from a longitudinal panel of clients", Social Policy Research Unit, DWP report no. 259 (published 7 July 2005).
	These reports are available in the Library.
	The programme of evaluation continues through until 2008. Further reports will be published in the DWP research series.

Pension Credit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients there are of pension credit in the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency.

Stephen Timms: The information is not currently available. Information on numbers of households and individuals in receipt of pension credit and average awards in each constituency at 31 March 2005 is contained in the most recent quarterly pension credit progress report, which was published on 20 June. A copy of the report is in the Library. The next progress report, with information as at the end of June, will include the new constituencies which came into being at the general election. We expect to be in a position to publish these figures later this year.

Pension Credit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average entitlement to pension credit is in Scotland.

Stephen Timms: At 31 March 2005 the average pension credit award in Scotland was £40.19. Information on numbers of households and individuals in receipt of pension credit in each Government Office region and constituency at 31 March 2005, with average awards, is contained in the most recent quarterly pension credit progress report published on 20 June 2005. A copy of the report is in the Library.

Pension Credit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the uptake of pensions credit as a percentage of overall eligibility.

Stephen Timms: There are now over 2.7 million households in Great Britain receiving pension credit. Estimates based on the Family Resources Survey suggest that there are 3.85 million households entitled to pension credit in Great Britain in 2005–06. These two figures come from different sources, are calculated differently and are not directly comparable. We plan to publish definitive national statistics on take-up and entitlement for the first six months of pension credit by the end of 2005.

Pension Inequality

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to tackle women's pension inequality.

Stephen Timms: For today's women pensioners, pension credit has made a significant contribution to tackling the legacy of pension inequality. For younger women, the state second pension, improving opportunities for women in the workplace and the increasing options for pension flexibility have all contributed to ensuring more equal pension rights for future female pensioners. The proportion of women who are now accruing significant second-tier state pensions is similar to that of men.
	We want to continue to make progress. Fair outcomes for women and carers is one of our principles for pension reform and will be one of the key factors on which proposals for reform will be judged. To help develop our thinking, we will be holding an event later this year to discuss how to make the pensions system work well for women. Prior to this event, we will publish our analysis of the pension position of women to enable evidence-based discussion.

Pension Service/Benefits Agency

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints have been received relating to the loss of (a) birth certificates and (b) other supporting documents sent to the Dundee Pension Service Centre in each year since 2001; whether an internal assessment has been made of the number of (i) birth certificates and (ii) other supporting documents lost at the Dundee Pension Service Centre; and what estimates he has made of the number of (A) birth certificates and (B) other supporting documents lost at each Pension Service Centre for each year since 2001.

James Plaskitt: In 2004–05 the Dundee Pension Centre handled 92,485 claims to state pension and applications for pension credit and during this period the Royal Mail handled 308,796 items of mail on its behalf. The Dundee Pension Centre regularly analyses data about complaints, in order to identify and resolve any problems as they arise. Where necessary, procedures are changed to improve service delivery.
	Between 1 April 2002 and 21 July 2005 the Dundee Pension Centre 70 complaints about lost documents. The data held do not distinguish between types of document.
	Information on numbers of complaints before April 2002, when the Pension Service came into being, is not available. Information on the number of documents lost at pension centres is not held centrally.

Pension Service/Benefits Agency

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and security of mail delivery and opening arrangements at (a) the Dundee Pension Service centre and (b) other Pension Service centres.

James Plaskitt: The opening and distribution of mail in pension centres in Great Britain, whether by in-house teams or external providers, is carried out according to service level agreements or similar terms and conditions. These arrangements are monitored on a regular basis. In addition, the Department has a number of regional contract managers who ensure that agreements are being adhered to and that the security, confidentiality and effectiveness of mail handling arrangements are maintained. We are aware of the value that our customers place in their documentation and so the Pension Service is committed to returning them within five working days.

Pension Service/Benefits Agency

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fax machines are sited at the work stations of helpline staff of (a) the Benefits Agency and (b) the Pensions Service.

James Plaskitt: Jobcentre Plus, which brought together the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service in 2002, operates two national telephone helplines, namely Jobseeker Direct and Employer Direct. All Jobcentre Plus call centres have fax machines, but information on the number of machines is not available. The various telephone services provided by the Pension Service are not regarded as helplines and none of its staff are regarded as helpline staff.

Pensions

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of business pensions which are at risk because of off-balance sheet budgeting by companies; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: We have made no such estimate.

Publications

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the publications issued by hisDepartment in each of the last seven years; and what the (a) circulation, (b) cost and (c) purpose of each was.

Anne McGuire: This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

SERPS

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will include inherited SERPS from contracted-out pensions in pension forecasts where applicable;
	(2)  if he will produce a leaflet giving advice on claiming inherited SERPS for widows or widowers whose spouse was contracted-out of SERPS;
	(3)  how many pensioners receive inherited SERPS where the contributing spouse was (a) contracted into and (b) contracted-out of SERPS;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who do not benefit from an entitlement to inherited SERPS where the contributing spouse was contracted-out of SERPS.

James Plaskitt: Rights to a state earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS) pension inherited from a deceased spouse, including rights derived from contracted-out employment prior to 6 April 1997, are included in the surviving spouses state pension forecasts where the Department is informed of the person's marital status.
	A number of factors, including contracting-out, determine the extent to which state SERPS pension can be inherited. Leaflet SERPSL1 provides general information on inheritance of a SERPS pension and points out that there is an interaction with any contracted-out occupational pension provision accrued prior to 1997. More detailed information is available in leaflet NP46: a guide to State Pensions. We keep the content of our leaflets under review to ensure that the information is accurate.
	Information on the total number of people receiving an inherited SERPS pension and whether the deceased spouse, from whose contributions the pension is derived, was contracted-out of SERPS is not available as it is not possible to separately identify the inherited element of a SERPS pension where the recipient is also entitled to a SERPS pension in their own right. Such information as is available is below and relates solely to people whose only entitlement to a SERPS pension is derived from their deceased spouse's contributions.
	At 30 September 2004, around 639,200 recipients of category B state pension had potential entitlement to an inherited SERPS pension before any adjustment in respect of their deceased's spouse's contracted-out employment was applied. An adjustment was applied in 366,800 cases. Following the adjustment, 1,000 had no entitlement to an inherited SERPS pension and 365,800 had entitlement to a reduced inherited SERPS pension.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are taken from a 5 per cent. sample and are subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest hundred
	3. Entitlement to a category B state pension is derived solely from a spouse's or deceased spouse's national insurance contributions.
	Source:
	Information directorate, 5 per cent. sample.

Shipyard Workers

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures have been put in place on Tyneside by his Department to help unemployed former shipyard workers (a) retrain for and (b) find another job.

Stephen Timms: Our flexible employment programmes, such as the new deal, delivered through Jobcentre Plus and work based learning for adults, provide a service that meets the needs of individuals, local areas and local employers and have been a tremendous success in helping to achieve record levels of employment.
	In addition to mainstream programmes, Jobcentre Plus has approved rapid response funding in excess of £370,000 to assist customers, made redundant in the shipbuilding industry on Tyneside, through re-training programmes. Such re-training is still continuing and training programmes accessed cover a range of subjects, the most common being offshore survival, safety training passports, rope access courses and upgrading of welding certificates.
	Partner organisations who worked alongside Jobcentre Plus to assist those made redundant consisted of; One North East, Government office for the north east, North Tyneside council, South Tyneside council, Business Link, Learning Skills Council and Work Force Development.

Sickness Absence

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State forWork and Pensions how many days of sickness absence were taken in his Department in the year to April 2005.

Anne McGuire: For the 12 month period 1 April 2004 to 30 March 2005 the average number of working days lost in the Department for Work and Pensions was 12.5 days.

Staff Numbers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members of staff have been employed in each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department in each year since 1997–98; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was established in June 2001 bringing together the Department of Social Security and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment, including the Employment Service. The number of staff in the new Department at this date was 119,052. Comparable historical staffing figures before this date are not available.
	The breakdown of staffing within the Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies from April 2002 to March 2005 is in the following table.
	
		Staffing numbers 30 April 2002 to 31 March 2005
		
			  30 April 2002 31 March 2003 31 March 2004 31 March 2005 
		
		
			 Jobcentre Plus 86,082 78,564 79,122 73,406 
			 The Pension Service 8,782 17,019 18,567 16,189 
			 Child Support Agency 10,753 11,256 10,779 9,784 
			 Disability and Carers Service 7,380 7,207 7,103 6,506 
			 Appeals Service 925 881 816 752 
			 The Rent Service — — — 718 
			 Other departmental units 12,701 13,715 11,895 11,719 
			 Non-departmental public bodies 191 183 173 155 
			 Departmental total 126,814 128,825 128,455 119,229 
			  
			 Health and Safety Executive 4,282 4,162 4,019 3,854 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are civil service full time equivalent posts (rounded) and exclude staff on paid maternity leave.
	2. Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service were established on 1 April 2002.
	3. The Rent Service joined the Department from 1 April 2004 from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	4. Disability and Carers Service was granted agency status from 1 November 2004.
	5. The Health and Safety Executive joined the Department on 24 July 2002. The Health and Safety Executive is not normally included in departmental staffing totals.

State Retirement Pensioners

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work andPensions how many state retirement pensioners there are in the Stroud constituency; and what percentage that represents of the total electorate of that constituency.

Stephen Timms: As at 30 September 2004 there were 20,800 recipients of the state pension in the Stroud parliamentary constituency of whom 7,600 were males and 13,200 females. This represents around 26 per cent. of the electorate.
	Notes
	1. Recipient figures, rounded to the nearest 100, are taken from a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant Office for National Statistics postcode directory.
	Sources
	1. Number of recipients—IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample as at September 2004.
	2. 2005 electoral data—Stroud district council.

Work Placement Services

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research he has collated on the relative (a) efficiency and (b) cost of work placement services conducted by Jobcentre Plus and the private sector.

Stephen Timms: Jobcentre Plus works in partnership with the Private and Voluntary Sector in delivering a significant proportion of the support to Jobcentre Plus customers. There are few examples where it is possible to make a robust, like-for-like, comparison. However, an analysis of relative cost-effectiveness formed part of the wider analysis of Employment Zones, and the results are contained within the report Working age research and analysis", publication No. 176 (2003), which is available on the Department for Work and Pensions website.
	The report relates to the original Employment Zones which helped the New Deal 25 plus client group. Analysis showed that the costs per participant were approximately £1,500 for Employment Zones, approximately £500 higher than those incurred by Jobcentre Plus for mandatory customers.
	However, the analysis also identified that Employment Zones achieved more employment outcomes. These findings suggest that Employment Zones are broadly as cost-effective as Jobcentre Plus at providing work placements.

HOME DEPARTMENT

2012 Olympics

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings have been held with the International Olympic Commission to discuss security for the 2012 Olympics following the events of 7 July.

Charles Clarke: There have been no security meetings with the International Olympic Commission since 7 July. In accordance with the arrangements set out in the London bid, a committee chaired by myself will be responsible for overseeing the security preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games.

2012 Olympics

John Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether handgun competitions will be permitted to be held in London in 2012 as part of the Olympic games;
	(2)  whether pistol shooting will be permitted in UK rifle and pistol clubs so that British competitors can train in Olympic disciplines in the UK prior to 2012.

Hazel Blears: We have no plans to repeal the provisions in the Firearms (Amendment) Acts 1997 which prohibit the private possession of handguns. However, special arrangements will be put in place to allow pistol shooting events at the London Olympics as with the 2002 Commonwealth games. These arrangements will include a warm up event if this is deemed necessary

Abductions

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2005, Official Report, column 1210W, on abductions, if he will break down the figures by (a) London borough, (b) gender, (c) age and (d) nationality.

Fiona Mactaggart: Data from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of people prosecuted for abduction or kidnapping by London borough, gender and age, 1997 to 2003 are contained in the table. Data on the defendant's nationality are not centrally collected.
	Statistics for 2004 court proceedings will be available in the autumn. 
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for abduction or kidnapping in London, 1997–2003(123)(5508090124), by age and sex -- Defendants
		
			 Offence description Principal statute Sex Age group 1997 1998 1999 
		
		
			 Abduction of children Child Abduction Act 1984 s.1 and 2 as amended by the Children Act 1989 Male 15–17 — — 1 
			18–20 — 3 — 
			21 and over 14 6 10 
			Total 14 9 11 
			
			   Female 15–17 1 — — 
			18–20 — 1 2 
			21 and over 4 1 5 
			Total 5 2 7 
			
			 Abduction of female having interest in property Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.17 (in part) Male 21 and over — — 1 
			
			 Abduction of female by force Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.17 (in part) Male 21 and over 2 — 2 
			
			 Abduction of unmarried girl under Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.20 Male 15–17 — — — 
			 16   21 and over 2 2 3 
			Total 2 2 3 
			
			   Female 21 and over — — — 
			
			 Kidnapping Common Law Male 10–14 — — — 
			15–17 22 2 15 
			18–20 13 6 22 
			21 and over 38 56 50 
			Total 73 64 87 
			   Female 10–14 — 1 — 
			15–17 1 — 2 
			18–20 — 1 2 
			21 and over 2 2 1 
			Total 3 4 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Offence description Principal statute Sex Age group 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Abduction of children Child Abduction Act 1984 s.1 and 2 as amended by the Children Act 1989 Male 15–17 1 — — — 
			18–20 — 1 1 1 
			21 and over 5 8 9 11 
			Total 6 9 10 12 
			 
			   Female 15–17 — — — 1 
			18–20 1 — — — 
			21 and over 5 3 2 1 
			Total 6 3 2 2 
			 
			 Abduction of female having interest in property Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.17 (in part Male 21 and over — — — — 
			 
			 Abduction of female by force Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.17 (in part) Male 21 and over — — — — 
			 
			 Abduction of unmarried girl Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.20 Male 15–17 — — 1 1 
			 under 16   21 and over — — 1 — 
			Total 0 0 2 1 
			 
			   Female 21 and over — — 1 — 
			 
			 Kidnapping Common Law Male 10–14 — — 1 5 
			15–17 6 12 17 16 
			18–20 17 31 20 29 
			21 and over 41 80 80 92 
			Total 64 123 118 142 
			 
			   Female 10–14 2 — 1 — 
			15–17 — 1 2 1 
			18–20 1 — 2 2 
			21 and over 4 4 7 7 
			Total 7 5 12 10 
		
	
	(123)These data are on the principal offence basis
	(124)Includes Metropolitan and City of London police force areas.

Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the date of appointment was of each member of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs.

Paul Goggins: Members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs are appointed by the Secretary of State as required by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and in accordance with the Code of Practice for the public appointments process issued by the Office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments.
	Members are ordinarily appointed for terms of three years each, subject to a maximum of 10 years. Details of the date of first appointment, number of terms served and date of last appointment of each current member is given in the table.
	
		Annex AAdvisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
		
			 Member No. of terms First appointed Reappointed 
		
		
			 Professor Sir Michael Rawlins (Chair) 2 1 November 1998 1 November 2002 
			 Dr. Dima Abdulrahim1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Lord Victor Adebowale1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Mr. Martin Barnes(125) — 1 January 2005 — 
			 Dr. Margaret Birtwistle1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Reverend Martin Blakebrough 2 1 January 1999 1 January 2005 
			 Dr. Cecilia Bottomley 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Ms Carmel Clancy 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Professor Ilana Crome 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Ms Robyn Doran 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Ms Dianne Draper(125) — 1 January 2005 — 
			 Mr. Robert Eschle 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Professor Hugh Edmondson 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Ms Vivienne Evans 2 1 January 1999 1 January 2005 
			 Professor C. Robin Ganellin FRS 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Dr. Clare Gerada(125) — 1 January 2005 — 
			 Dr. Laurence Gruer 3 1 January 1996 1 January 2005 
			 Mr. Paul Hayes 2 1 January 1999 1 January 2005 
			 Mr. Andrew Hayman 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Mr. Russell Hayton 2 1 January 1999 1 January 2005 
			 Ms Caroline Healy(125) — 1 January 2005 — 
			 Dr. Matthew Hickman(125)— 1 January 2005 — 
			 Mr. Alan Hunter 2 1 January 1999 1 January 2005 
			 Professor Leslie Iversen(125)— 1 January 2005 — 
			 His Honour Judge Thomas Joseph 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Dr. John Marsden 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Mr. Peter Martin 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Professor David Nutt 2 1 March 2000 1 January 2005 
			 Dr. Richard Pates 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Mr. Trevor Pearce 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Mrs Kay Roberts 2 1 January 1999 1 January 2005 
			 Dr. Roy Robertson 3 1 January 1996 1 January 2005 
			 Dr. Mary Rowlands 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Dr. Polly Taylor 1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Ms Monique Tomlinson1 1 January 2002 1 January 2005 
			 Mr. Arthur Wing(125) — 1 January 2005 — 
		
	
	(125)Indicates new member

Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has asked members of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs whether they have (a) previously used cannabis and (b) advocated liberalisation of the laws governing the use of cannabis.

Paul Goggins: The members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs have not been asked either of these questions.

Air Weapons

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has received from the Scottish Executive on possible amendments to the Violent Crime Reduction Bill in relation to licensing or control of air weapons in Scotland.

Hazel Blears: We are considering what further measures might be taken to tighten up controls on air weapons across Great Britain as a whole and in doing so we have been discussing a range of options with the Scottish Executive.

Airgun Clubs

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many airgun clubs there are which have been approved by his Department.

Hazel Blears: There are currently 1,252 rifle clubs approved by the Home Office. It is not possible to say how many of these use air weapons.

Alcohol Abuse

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial assistance was provided by his Department to support the work of organisations dealing with alcohol abuse in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004, broken down by organisation.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office does not provide any direct funding to organisations dealing with alcohol abuse. Money provided for probation services may be used on alcohol treatment, though it is up to individual probation areas to decide whether to do so.

Alcohol-related Crime

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Milton Keynes have been convicted of crimes in which alcohol has been a contributory factor in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible from the data held on the Home Office court proceedings database to identify all offences in which alcohol has been a contributory factor as information on the background of the offences is not collected.
	The following table gives figures for offenders convicted in Milton Keynes between 1999 and 2003 of offences relating to drunkenness and drink driving.
	Figures for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Numbers of offenders in Milton Keynes convicted at all courts of crimes relating to alcohol, 1999 to 2003 -- Offenders convicted
		
			 Offence 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Drunkenness 161 148 170 131 157 
			 Driving etc, after consuming alcohol or taking drug 540 438 500 544 564 
			 Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs 1 0 1 0 0 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are on a principal offence basis

Alcohol-related Crime

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of alcohol-related violence there were in Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997; and what percentage of the total number of violent crimes this represented in each case.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is not possible from the recorded crime statistics to identify those offences which are alcohol related.

Alcohol-related Crime

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been in Cambridgeshire for (a) permitting drunkenness or riotous conduct on the premises or selling liquor to a drunken person, (b) selling intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 years for consumption on the premises, (c) wholesalers selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18 years and (d) delivery of alcohol to a person under 18 years or allowing such delivery in each year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: Information on number of defendants proceeded against at Cambridgeshire magistrates courts, between 1997 and 2003, for selling intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 years for consumption on the premises, is provided in the table. There were no prosecutions in Cambridgeshire for the other offences during this period.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at Cambridgeshire magistrates courts for selling etc intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises' under the Licensing Act 1964 S.169 A and B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.11997–2003(126)
		
			  Proceeded against 
		
		
			 1997 2 
			 1998 7 
			 1999 — 
			 2000 4 
			 2001 2 
			 2002 — 
			 2003 — 
		
	
	(126)These data are on a principal offence basis.

Antisocial Behaviour

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been (a) dispersed, (b) arrested and (c) removed to their home address under the relevant powers contained in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 in each month of 2004, broken down by (i) borough, (ii) age, (iii)ethnicity, (iv) offence and (v) outcome.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 18 July 2005
	This information is not collected centrally. It is estimated that dispersal powers have been authorised in over 400 areas in England and Wales between January 2004, when the powers came into force in September 2004. The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police tells me that, between January and December 2004, the Metropolitan Police authorised 63 dispersal areas under section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. A breakdown by London borough is shown in the following table
	
		
			 London boroughs Number of dispersal areas January to December 2004 
		
		
			 Barnet 1 
			 Brent 2 
			 Bromley 6 
			 Camden 2 
			 Croydon 4 
			 Dagenham 2 
			 Ealing 5 
			 Enfield 4 
			 Greenwich 1 
			 Hackney 1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3 
			 Haringey 1 
			 Hillingdon 5 
			 Hounslow 3 
			 Islington 4 
			 Lambeth 2 
			 Lewisham 1 
			 Merton 2 
			 Newham 1 
			 Redbridge 2 
			 Richmond 3 
			 Romford 1 
			 Tower Hamlets 2 
			 Waltham Forest 1 
			 Wandsworth 1 
			 Westminster 3 
			 Total 63

Antisocial Behaviour

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what medical history is taken from individuals issued with an antisocial behaviour orders.

Hazel Blears: It is for local agencies to determine what medical history should be considered when applying for an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO). If there is evidence to suggest that a perpetrator of antisocial behaviour is suffering from a medical condition, mental health condition, disability or is vulnerable in any other way then a practitioner with specialist knowledge should be involved in an assessment process to determine the cause of the behaviour and whether an ASBO is the most appropriate tool to address that behaviour. The assessment should take account of any known medical conditions or disabilities as well as uncovering undiagnosed problems.

Antisocial Behaviour

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to tackle the causes of antisocial behaviour; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: An effective approach to tackling antisocial behaviour is based on a mixture of support and sanction. For example, the Home Office recently announced on 29 June half a million pounds funding for individual support orders (ISOs) for young people between the ages of 10 and 17.
	The TOGETHER campaign was set up to ensure that antisocial behaviour is dealt with swiftly and effectively by local services. The first phase was about equipping practitioners with the tools and the know-how. We have seen some good results: over 4,500 antisocial behaviour orders, over 150 crack house closure orders and over 400 dispersal orders.

Antisocial Behaviour

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to introduce across the country mediation schemes aimed at individuals who exhibit antisocial behaviour.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office has no plans to introduce mediation schemes aimed at individuals across the country who exhibit antisocial behaviour. The Government response to the Home Affairs Select Committee published in June 2005 addressed this point after it had been raised during the Committee's inquiry into antisocial behaviour.
	The Government explained that mediation can form an important part of a tiered approach to tackling antisocial behaviour. However we would not wish to advocate one single response approach as this might not be applicable to all local circumstances.
	Mediation also forms part of our advice to practitioners on the preventive and support measures as part of the TOGETHER campaign.

Antisocial Behaviour

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish figures for the number of antisocial behaviour orders levied by each local authority since their introduction.

Paul Goggins: A detailed breakdown of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued by local authority area up to 31 December 2004 (latest available) can be downloaded from the Crime Reduction website at: www.crimereduction.gov.uk/asbos2.htm

Antisocial Behaviour

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state how many antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) have been issued in (a) Birmingham and (b) Solihull in each year since the creation of ASBOs.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the table.
	
		Number of ASBOs applied for and issued, as notified to the Home Office, where restrictions are imposed within specific local authority areas from 1 April 1999(127)(5508090128)to 31 December 2004(latest available)
		
			 Area/year Total ASBOs issued on application/on conviction 
		
		
			 Birmingham city council  
			 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 (129)— 
			 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 3 
			 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 13 
			 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002 10 
			 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 25 
			 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 72 
			 Total (130)123 
			   
			 Solihull metropolitan borough council  
			 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 (129)— 
			 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 0 
			 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 0 
			 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002 1 
			 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 5 
			 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 17 
			 Total (131)23 
		
	
	(127)ASBOs introduced from 1 April 1999 under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
	(128)Between 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only by police force area (pfa). 11 ASBOs were issued within the West Midlands pfa within this period.
	(129)Not known
	(130)Includes 25 orders where restrictions include the whole of England and Wales and four orders which include the whole of the West Midlands.
	(131)Includes two orders where restrictions include the whole of England and Wales and one order which includes the whole of the West Midlands.

Antisocial Behaviour

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Milton Keynes since 1 January 2004.

Hazel Blears: From 1 January 2004 up to 31 December 2004 (latest available) the number of antisocial behaviour orders issued at all courts, as reported to the Home Office, where restrictions were imposed within the local government authority area of Milton Keynes borough council, is 13.

Antisocial Behaviour

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason his Department does not keep the figures for prosecutions in the event of an antisocial behaviour order being breached.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office Court Proceedings Database only holds details of prosecutions for breaching a criminal or civil order where the person has been found guilty. All other outcomes are excluded. Hence all of the breach figures we give in answer to parliamentary questions are based on findings of guilt.

Antisocial Behaviour

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in (a) South Cambridgeshire, (b) East Cambridgeshire and (c) Cambridgeshire in each year since they were introduced.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		The number of ASBOs applied for and issued, as notified to the Home Office, within Cambridgeshire and where restrictions are imposed within specific local authority areas from1 April 1999(132)to 31 December 2004 (latest available)
		
			 Area/year Total ASBOs issued on application/on conviction 
		
		
			 Cambridgeshire  
			 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 5 
			 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 1 
			 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 2 
			 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002 2 
			 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 14 
			 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 24 
			 Total (133)48 
			   
			 South Cambridgeshire district council  
			 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 (134)— 
			 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 0 
			 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 0 
			 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002 0 
			 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 0 
			 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 0 
			 Total 0 
			   
			 East Cambridgeshire district council  
			 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 (134)— 
			 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 0 
			 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 0 
			 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002 0 
			 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 0 
			 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 0 
			 Total 0 
		
	
	(132)ASBOs introduced from 1 April 1999 under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
	(133)Includes four orders where restrictions apply to the whole of England and Wales and eight orders which apply to the whole of the county.
	(134)Not known.

Antisocial Behaviour

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been breached in Cambridgeshire in each year since they were introduced; and what percentage of the total issued this represented in each case.

Hazel Blears: Data on convictions for breach of an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) are currently available from one June 2000 to 31 December 2003 and are available at the criminal justice system (CJS) area level only. Of the 19 ASBOs reported to the Home Office as having been issued in the Cambridgeshire CJS area (which is coterminous with the county area) during this period, eight were breached on one or more occasions. The number and years in which first time breaches occurred are as follows: one in 2001, one in 2002 and six in 2003.
	Breach data for 2004 will be available towards the end of the year.

Arrests

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has given to police officers on briefing the media when a person is (a) arrested, (b) detained in custody and (c) convicted; if he will place such guidance in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 736W. The guidance is publicly available on the ACPO website and I have placed a copy in the Library. Conviction is a matter of public record and any briefing subsequent to conviction is a matter for the chief officer of the force concerned.

Arrests

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance to police forces that a representative from social services should be present when possible when a mentally disabled person is arrested.

Hazel Blears: As indicated in my earlier response to the hon. Member of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1495W, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and associated Codes of Practice require that persons detained in a police station who appear to be mentally vulnerable must be given special consideration as summarised in Code C, Annex E. In cases of those people detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, an approved social worker and registered medical practitioner must be called to interview and examine the detainee. The police station is not the most suitable place to detain people suffering from mental disorder and it is not always possible in that environment to ensure that people suffering from mental disorder are identified and given suitable attention.
	These issues are exacerbated at the point of arrest. In cases of arrest which are not pre-planned, the ability to make use of someone from social services is impractical. The circumstances of the arrest and any considered risk must be notified to the custody officer on arrival at the police station. In cases of a planned arrest, it is an operational decision for the chief officer of the force concerned how best that should be carried out and any other personnel who should accompany the arresting officer.

Assaults

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many physical attacks have been made on (a) firefighters, (b) police officers and (c) ambulance staff in Houghton and Washington East constituency in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Assaults

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many physical attacks have been made on shop workers in the constituency of Houghton and Washington East in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Recorded crime statistics do not normally identify the location of offences, or the occupation of victims. The British Crime Survey provides an overview of the extent of violence at work in England and Wales, examines the nature of these incidents and looks at the level of worry among workers about becoming victims of workplace violence. Information is not, however, available at a local level.

Assaults

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attacks have been made on shop workers in Hartlepool in the last three years.

Paul Goggins: Recorded crime statistics do not normally identify the location of offences, or the occupation of victims. The British Crime Survey provides an overview of the extent of violence at work in England and Wales, examines the nature of these incidents and looks at the level of worry among workers about becoming victims of workplace violence.
	Information is not, however, available at a local level.

Asylum Seekers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 115W, on asylum seekers, how many asylum seekers have applied for the right to work following the introduction of the EU directive; and what steps he has taken to publicise this change in the law.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The information requested is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only by examination of individual case files. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) amended its policy bulletin number 72 on Employment and Voluntary Activity to make the change clear. This was shared with the voluntary sector agencies assisting asylum seekers supported by NASS and with other members of the National Asylum Support Forum, and is available on the internet. In addition, guidance issued to new asylum seekers was amended to take account of the change in policy.

Asylum Seekers

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the total number of failed asylum seekers in (a) the UK and (b) each county.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	The recent National Audit Office report Returning failed asylum applicants" acknowledges that the number of failed asylum seekers in the UK is impossible to determine as some will have left the country of their own accord.
	No Government have ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of failed asylum seekers who are in the country illegally. By its very nature it is impossible to quantify accurately, and that remains the case. We do not know how many failed asylum seekers remain in the country, because there is no means of counting those who leave the country on their own accord without informing the immigration authorities.
	Information on the number of removals of failed asylum seekers is published quarterly and annually, on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Asylum Seekers

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support his Department offers asylum seekers who have failed in their applications but whose countries are too dangerous for them to be returned to.

Tony McNulty: Unsuccessful asylum seekers unable to leave the country immediately due to circumstances entirely beyond their control may be provided with support under section four of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. This support is provided in the form of accommodation and, where possible, food. Where food is not provided vouchers valued at £35 per week are issued to enable the supported person to buy food. Essential toiletries are also provided.

Asylum Seekers

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will allow asylum seekers to work while their applications are being considered.

Tony McNulty: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 115W.

Asylum Seekers

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers have been returned to safe third countries in each of the last five years, broken down by country; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The requested information is not available. Information on the destination of failed asylum seekers removed from the UK during 2004, including a breakdown between removals to the country of nationality and removals to elsewhere, will be published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2004, which will be published in August. Information for earlier years is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the numbers of failed asylum seekers removed are published every quarter on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum Seekers

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total amount spent on benefits for asylum seekers has been in each county in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available in the precise format requested. Local authorities retain responsibility for providing support to certain asylum seekers and can claim grant from the Home Office to meet the reasonable costs of providing this support. Details of the grants paid for adults and families since 1 April 1999 and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC), since 1 April 2000 are available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/applying/national_asylum_support/stakeholders/finance.html.
	Other expenditure on the provision of support to asylum seekers is not recorded by individual county or local authority and therefore a breakdown cannot be provided. Prior to 1 April 1999 the Department of Health was responsible for the grant to local authorities for the provision of support to asylum seekers.

Asylum Seekers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Darfuri asylum seekers whose applications are being fast-tracked are being detained.

Tony McNulty: Immigration and Nationality Department electronic records are based on the nationality or country of origin of the claimant rather than ethnicity or regional origin. Accordingly figures can only be provided for Sudanese claims. Information relating to asylum seekers claiming to be from Darfur would not necessarily be reliable, and could be produced only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.
	Information on the numbers of asylum seekers detained, by nationality, is published quarterly in the official asylum statistics, available from the Library of the House and from the quarterly and annually, on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum Seekers

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers have been housed in (a) the East of England, (b) Suffolk, (c) the constituency of Bury St. Edmunds and (d) each local authority area in Suffolk in each of the last seven years.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available in the format requested. Statistical information on the location of asylum seekers is linked to the support they are receiving. Since 3 April 2000 the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has been responsible for providing support for adult and family asylum seekers. Local authorities retain responsibility for supporting some longer standing adult and family asylum seekers under the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999, as amended. Local social services departments are responsible for supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASCs) irrespective of when the application for asylum is made. Available information on the location of asylum seekers housed either directly by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) or by local authorities is in the following tables.
	In addition, at the end of March 2005 there were 50 unsuccessful asylum seekers receiving support under section four of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in the East of England region.
	
		Asylum seekers supported by local authority
		
			  March 2003 March 2004 March 2005 
			 East of England local authorities Interim scheme UASCs Interim scheme UASCs Interim scheme UASCs 
		
		
			 Bedfordshire 85 15 50 10 n/a 5 
			 Cambridgeshire 135 25 35 15 25 15 
			 Essex 110 55 110 60 60 65 
			 Hertfordshire n/a 95 110 85 40 50 
			 Luton 300 50 235 55 90 20 
			 Norfolk 90 35 80 n/a 40 n/a 
			 Peterborough 55 35 40 30 10 25 
			 Southend on Sea 200 15 155 15 85 15 
			 Suffolk 15 15 10 35 10 15 
			 Thurrock 110 110 70 90 25 50 
			 Total 1,100 450 895 395 385 260 
		
	
	
		Number of people in MASS accommodation in theEast of England
		
			  As at end December: 
			 Local authority 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Bedford 15 25 * 
			 Broadland — * 5 
			 Cambridge * — * 
			 Epping Forest 10 15 10 
			 Ipswich 75 75 65 
			 Luton 5 5 10 
			 Norwich — 100 145 
			 Peterborough 425 470 350 
			 Southend-on-Sea — 20 10 
			 Stevenage — * * 
			 Watford — 5 — 
			 Sub-total 535 730 590 
		
	
	* = 1 or 2.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and therefore may not sum

Asylum Seekers

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many units of council accommodation his Department has reserved in each local authority area in Suffolk for asylum seekers; for what period; and how many are vacant.

Tony McNulty: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has contracted with both the private and public sector and registered social landlords to provide accommodation for asylum seekers. Within Suffolk there is one designated dispersal area for asylum seekers requiring accommodation. That area is Ipswich and there are no units of contracted council accommodation within that area.

Asylum Seekers

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the net current expenditure on asylum seekers by each local authority, in each year since 1996; and what is the estimated figure for 2005–06.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor, the hon. member for Kilmarnock on 17 November 2004, Official Report, column 1574W.
	Information on claims and grants for the financial years 1999–2000 to 2003–04 is on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website. Information for 2004–05 will be included on the website as soon as the figures have been cleared by the auditors.

Asylum Seekers

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Zimbabweans have been removed to Zimbabwe and to Malawi in each of the past six months.

Tony McNulty: The latest published information on removal of asylum seekers covers the first quarter of 2005.
	The number of persons removed of Zimbabwean nationality, for the six months from October 2004 until March 2005, by destination is shown in the table. These figures include people departing voluntarily after enforcement action has been initiated against them and people leaving under assisted voluntary returns programmes run by the International Organization for Migration. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
	Information on removals of asylum seekers for the second quarter of 2005 will be published in August on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Removals and voluntary departures(135)of asylum applicants, excluding dependants, nationals of Zimbabwe, October 2004 to March 2005, by destination(136)Number of principal applicants
		
			  Total of whom returned to 
			  persons(137)(5508090138) Zimbabwe Malawi 
		
		
			 October 2004 10 10 — 
			 November 2004 10 10 — 
			 December 2004 30 30 — 
			 January 2005 35 35 — 
			 February 2005 20 20 — 
			 March 2005 40 35 * 
		
	
	(135)Includes persons departing voluntarily" after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organization for Migration, and removals on safe third country grounds.
	2Provisional figures.
	(136)Figures rounded to the nearest five, with * = 1 or 2 and — = 0, may not sum due to rounding.
	(137)Figures exclude dependants of asylum seekers removed.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many number plates have been logged per day on average in each month since the automatic number plate recognition system has been in place; and how many related to (a) stolen vehicles, (b) non-payment of vehicle excise duty, (c) expired MOT certificates and (d) absence of insurance in each case.

Paul Goggins: During the 18 month period that covered both Laser pilot exercises, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems recorded over 32 million reads. However, a detailed breakdown of these reads is not held centrally.

Badger Cruelty

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to make badger cruelty a notifiable offence.

Hazel Blears: The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 provides the required statutory protection for badgers. Offences under the Act are recordable on the Police National Computer, although they are not notifiable to the Home Office for the purposes of the recorded crime statistics.
	The recorded crime statistics are restricted to offences which are indictable or triable either way and a few closely related summary offences. Although these arrangements may be changed without legislation, we do not consider that the additional workload on the police which would be entailed by a requirement to notify such summary offences would be justified.

Benefits

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will remove (a) incapacity benefit and (b) disability living allowance from the list of public funds HC 251 (as amended);
	(2)  for what reasons (a) disability living allowance and (b) incapacity benefits are included in the list of public funds in HC 251 (as amended).

Tony McNulty: As a general rule, individuals with limited leave to remain in the UK are not entitled to certain income-related benefits, including disability living allowance and severe disablement allowance, because they are funded entirely out of revenue from general taxation and entitlement does not require payment of national insurance contributions. The rationale behind this is that those who have not established their right to remain permanently in the UK should not have welfare provision on the same basis as those whose citizenship or status here gives them an entitlement to benefits when in need. This is reflected in the immigration rules.
	All those admitted to the UK for a temporary purpose are required under the rules to be able to maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants without recourse to a defined list of public funds. Consequently all those in the UK on limited leave generally have a condition endorsed in their passports prohibiting recourse to public funds.
	There are no plans to remove disability living allowance and severe disablement allowance from the list of public funds. Incapacity benefit is not currently on the list because entitlement generally depends on the payment of national insurance contributions.

Bio-terrorism

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice his Department has issued on dealing with the latest forms of bio-terrorism; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: The latest Government advice on counter terrorism including bio-terrorism can be found on the following websites: UK Resilience (www.ukresiliene.info/home.htm) and the Security Service (www.mi5.gov.uk). More detailed advice can also be found on the Health Protection Agency website (www.hpa.org.uk).
	The Government will issue any specific advice on particular threats as and when it is needed. General advice on dealing with emergencies, can be found on the UK Resilience website and was also issued to households and businesses last year.

Borders

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has conducted into the role that advance passenger information can provide in strengthening border security.

Tony McNulty: The systematic capture of passenger information in advance of travel is at the heart of our multi-agency e-Borders programme, which will create a modernised and secure border for the UK.
	As part of the work which led to the development of the e-Borders vision, a significant amount of research was carried out by the Immigration Service into the potential benefits that the receipt of passenger information in advance of travel could bring in improving both the effectiveness and efficiency of border control. As part of that work a comprehensive study was carried out in 2002 by an external contractor, which concluded that there were substantial benefits, including in the area of enhanced border security, to be gained from an Advance Passenger Processing system with advance passenger information at its core.
	Many other countries have introduced, or are seeking to introduce, systems which aim to exploit the benefits of advance passenger information and the development of the e-Borders concept owes much to the research we have conducted into other countries' practical experience in this area.
	The border agencies are already using passenger information to varying degrees and day to day experience demonstrates the benefits that having such data in advance of travel can bring. Moving forward with the e-Borders programme, project Semaphore, the pilot test bed project for the wider programme, is currently giving us the opportunity to learn more about the practical use of advance passenger information the receipt of which, even on the restricted number of routes involved so far, is already providing tangible operational benefits.

Borders

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the treaty basis is for those elements of the EU borders agency FRONTEX that have been established.

Tony McNulty: The treaty bases for Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 of 26 October 2004 (OJ L 349, 25 November 2004) which established the European Border Agency (FRONTEX) are Articles 62(2)(a) and 66 of the treaty establishing the European Community.
	On 26 April, on the basis of Article 15 of Regulation 2007/2004, the Council adopted Council Decision 8151/05 FRONT 61 COMIX 246 +COR1(en) +COR2(en) to site the agency's headquarters in Warsaw. The agency was then formally established on 1 May and two meetings of its Management Board have subsequently been held in Warsaw. The agency's executive director, Colonel Ilkka Laitinen, has been appointed on the basis of Article 20 of Regulation 2007/2004 and following the procedure set out under Article 26 of that Regulation.

British Citizenship

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why additional documentary evidence was not requested until 22 October 2004 with regard to Application H 357963 for British citizenship.

Tony McNulty: The case was reviewed while we were awaiting the result of our enquiries. It came to light during that review that more satisfactory evidence should have been obtained from the applicant to confirm that she met the residence requirements. This further evidence was duly sought.

Burglar Alarms

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent changes have been made to the protocols governing the police response to burglar alarms in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) England and Wales; what national guidelines exist in this area; and what recent discussions he has had with the insurance industry on this matter.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The policy governing police response to burglar alarms in England and Wales was produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in 1995 and is reviewed on a regular basis. The policy ('Police Response to Security Systems') was most recently reviewed in April 2005 and is available on the ACPO website (www.acpo.police.uk); no substantive changes were made as a result of the review. The policy resulted from discussions held by ACPO with the private security industry and the Association of British Insurers, who continue to be consulted as part of any review.

Car Tax Discs

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cars in Lancashire have been crushed for not having tax discs in each of the last three years.

Stephen Ladyman: I have been asked to reply. 
	The number of unlicensed vehicles in Lancashire (including Greater Manchester and Merseyside) which have been disposed of by crushing is as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2002–03 2,529 
			 2003–04 3,721 
			 2004–05 3,329

Careless Driving

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the results of his consultation exercise on careless driving will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Review of Road Traffic Offences involving Bad Driving consultation paper was published on 3 February. The consultation paper included a proposal for a new offence of causing death by careless driving. The consultation period ended 6 May. We have received 185 responses from individuals and organisations and the consultation has also been the subject of 11 petitions.
	We are now in the process of carefully analysing all the responses received and we will publish a summary in due course alongside our plans for addressing this issue.

Cash in Transit Attacks

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how cash in transit attacks are classified in the recorded crime statistics.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 20 July 2005
	Such offences are recorded by the police as robbery of business property. They cannot be separately identified from other offences which are recorded under this classification.

Cash in Transit Attacks

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there is a national strategy for dealing with cash in transit attacks; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The Home Office has been in discussion with the British Security Industry Association and the police to consider ways of reducing cash in transit robberies in England and Wales.
	The industry has committed itself to tackling this crime through the spreading of good practice and the use of technology to protect cash in transit deliveries. They are also working closely with the police to share intelligence relating to such robberies.
	In addition, the police are developing a menu of options to address commercial robbery more generally, including those relating to cash in transit vehicles and personnel.

Cash in Transit Attacks

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will allocate greater police resources to tackle cash in transit attacks.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The Government has put significant resources into the police service in England and Wales over the last few years. Expenditure on policing supported by Government grant or spent centrally on services for the police has risen by over 39 per cent. or £3 billion between 2000–01 and 2005–06.
	Operational issues, such as tackling cash in transit attacks, are matters for the local chief constable.

Cash in Transit Attacks

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passers-by have been injured in cash in transit attacks in each year since 2000.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The information requested is not collected centrally.

Child Abuse

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress the Senior Investigating Officers Handbook on abuse investigations' review group has made; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Senior Investigating Officers' working group is making steady progress in revising and updating this manual of guidance. It deals with the investigation of allegations of historical, institutional and complex child abuse. A conference involving relevant practitioners is due to be held in September and the target is to submit a draft of the revised guidance to the Association of Chief Police Officers in April 2006.

Child Protection

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to strengthen child protection on the internet.

Paul Goggins: The Government are determined to do everything they can to protect children from the insidious use of the internet by paedophiles.
	We have established the Task Force on Child Protection on the internet which includes representatives of the industry, the police, children's charities, MPs from the main parties and others, as a forum where ideas to protect children and promote safe use of the internet can be discussed and developed. Among the many initiatives to come out of the task force's work, the Home Office has run four public awareness campaigns to reinforce the basic safety messages to parents and children, has developed various models of good practice including access to content through mobile phones, and is close to finalising documents covering moderated chat and search services. The industry has worked, through the Internet Watch Foundation, to virtually eliminate hosting of illegal images of child abuse by UK companies and a number of providers have developed solutions to block access to material hosted overseas.
	The Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into force on 1 May 2004, made grooming a child, both offline and online, an offence, punishable by up to 10 years in jail. We have increased the maximum sentences for possession and distribution of indecent images of children (offences for possession from six months to five years and for production and distribution offences from three years' imprisonment to 10 years).
	We also announced in April that we will set up a new Centre for Child Protection on the internet to support the police and child protection agencies. The centre will target paedophiles using the internet to distribute illegal images and groom" children, and aims to reduce the harm caused to children, families and the wider community by child abuse facilitated by misuse of the internet. The centre will also include the Secretariat to the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies seeking to share lessons learned from investigations into on-line child abuse around the world.
	This is an international issue and we continue to take a lead within international fora in tackling this problem, for example through the G8 where Ministers have recently committed to the development of an international database of child abuse images, and through initiatives such as a joint EU Presidency/Virtual Global Taskforce Conference to be held on 14–16 November in Belfast.

Civil Participation (Faith Communities)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policies he is pursuing to encourage greater participation in civil society by faith communities; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Faith communities play an important role in building strong active communities and provide benefits to wider society.
	Through the Working Together" framework Government are improving consultation and engagement with faith communities across Whitehall.
	In addition, the Government actively encourages and supports faith communities to contribute to community cohesion through its strategy Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society", which focuses on improving the life chances of the most disadvantaged communities. The £3 million capacity building fund, announced as part of this strategy, will assist faith communities to participate more effectively in civil society.

Community Orders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of community orders since their inception.

Paul Goggins: Community penalties can be an effective alternative to short term custodial sentences. The actual reconviction rate within two years for adults commencing an order in 2001 was 51 per cent., 1 per cent. lower than the predicted reconviction rate.
	Community penalties also display a high compliance rate. Figures for May 2005 show that the compliance rate is 74 per cent. Community penalties allow offenders to maintain employment, education and family links, all factors which are important in reducing the risk of reoffending, whilst punishing the offender and delivering interventions to address offending behaviour.
	The Criminal Justice Act 2003 changes the structure of community sentences by providing a single order made up of one or more requirements. This allows the court greater flexibility in tailoring the sentence to the offence and the offender in each case, enabling a greater prospect of effectiveness.

Community Support Officers

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police community support officers there are in each London borough.

Hazel Blears: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the number of Police community support officers in London boroughs s at 31 March 2005 is that as provided in the following table.
	
		Police community support officers in the Metropolitan Police,as at 31 March 2005
		
			  Strength (full-time equivalent) 
		
		
			 Kensington and Chelsea 63.12 
			 Westminster 245.74 
			 Camden 48.44 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 32.55 
			 Hackney 51.00 
			 Tower Hamlets 59.00 
			 Waltham Forest 38.84 
			 Redbridge 38.72 
			 Havering 40.56 
			 Newham 75.87 
			 Barking and Dagenham 38.40 
			 Lambeth 75.00 
			 Southwark 41.00 
			 Islington 38.00 
			 Lewisham 36.55 
			 Bromley 53.00 
			 Harrow 35.00 
			 Brent 30.00 
			 Greenwich 43.00 
			 Bexley 47.28 
			 Barnet 44.00 
			 Richmond upon Thames 36.00 
			 Hounslow 44.60 
			 Kingston upon Thames 29.00 
			 Merton 33.10 
			 Wandsworth 47.00 
			 Ealing 43.27 
			 Hillingdon 54.00 
			 Enfield 44.56 
			 Haringey 37.00 
			 Croydon 46.78 
			 Sutton 32.00 
			 Total 1,622.38

Control Orders

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the next report on control orders will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: Section 14(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 (the 2005 Act) requires me to report to Parliament as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of every relevant three month period on my exercise of the control order powers during that period.
	The current three month period ends on 10 September. As the House is currently in recess, I will report to Parliament as required as soon as practicable in the new Session.
	I can however say now that during the period 11 June to 7 September, I made one order with the permission of the court under section 3(1)(a) of the 2005 Act on 5 September 2005 in respect of a British national. And I have revoked nine of the orders which I made in the previous quarter against individuals who were formerly certified under section 21(1) of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. There are therefore three control orders currently in force.
	I have refused three requests to modify the obligations in the control orders which I have made. A right of appeal exists in section 10 of the 2005 Act against a decision by the Secretary of State not to modify an obligation contained in a control order. None of those subject to a control order has exercised this right in respect of the refusals mentioned above.

Controlled Drugs

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the merits of moving responsibility for policy on controlled drugs from the Home Office to the Department of Health; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Home Department remains in the lead for co-ordinating the Government's response to the problems of drug misuse.
	The Department of Health is leading on strengthening the governance arrangements for controlled drugs in healthcare settings. These strengthened arrangements will replace the existing, fragmented system for monitoring and inspecting controlled drugs. Changes are being made in response to the recommendation made by Dame Janet Smith in her 4th Report of the Shipman Inquiry: The Regulation of Controlled Drugs in the Community.
	Consideration is also currently being given to transferring the licensing and inspection functions of the Home Office to the Medicines Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an agency of the Department of Health. This would be a rationalisation measure following the implementation of the Shipman Inquiry recommendations.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when he expects to reply to the letter to him dated 19 January 2005 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Juliet Kufvor;
	(2)  when he will answer the letter dated 19 January 2005 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Juliet Kufvor.

Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 22 July 2005.

Correspondence

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reply to the letter of the right hon. Member for Rotherham sent on 13 December 2004 requesting the return of identity documents to Mr.Iskaudar Anwar Raouf.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 21 July 2005
	I wrote to my hon. Friend to clarify Mr. Raouf's immigration status on 21 July 2005. A letter was also sent by recorded delivery to Mr. Raouf's legal representatives on 20 July 2005, enclosing documents confirming his immigration status.

Correspondence

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to respond to the letter of 17 June from the hon. Member for Sunderland South regarding Gholameza Mohtashami Tootkabori (ref: T1019249).

Tony McNulty: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 25 July 2005.

Correspondence

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what response he has made to letters from Mr. Clive Stafford Smith dated 15 May and 28 June regarding UK residents currently detained in Guantanamo Bay; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Tony McNulty: It would not be appropriate to place copies of correspondence about an individual's immigration status in the Library. I replied to the letter of 15 May 2005 on 8 July 2005 and shall reply to the letter of 28 June 2005 as soon as I possibly can.

Courts (Police Time)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the results of co-operation between the courts and the police to ensure efficient use of police time during court hearings.

Fiona Mactaggart: In 2003 pilots were undertaken to test an approach for improving the use of officers' time whilst waiting to give evidence. Following evaluation, the proposals were not taken forward as success was dependent upon the close geographical location of the court and police station.
	The Criminal Case Management Framework, which was issued in July 2004 and reissued on 21 July 2005, brings together a number of CJS initiatives and is aimed at providing court users with more consistency and higher levels of service. The framework strongly recommends that hearings are properly prepared; that witnesses, including police witnesses, are notified of hearing dates in advance; and, where possible, evidence that is agreed is identified prior to the hearing.

Crime

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish figures for thenumber of recorded offences of (a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robberies, (d) burglaries, (e) theft of a vehicle, (f) theft from a vehicle in (i) Birmingham and (ii) Solihull crime and disorder reduction partnership areas, in each year since 1998.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the tables. Data at Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area level is only available from 1999–2000. The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced on one April 2002 and figures before and after that date are not directly comparable. It is estimated that the effect of the introduction nationally of the NCRS was a 23 percent. increase in recorded violence against the person in its first year.
	The introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in May 2004 resulted in substantial changes in the sexual offences group which mean that figures for 2004–05 are not comparable with those for previous years.
	
		Table 1: Recorded offences in the Birmingham Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area—1999–2000 to 2001–02 -- Number of offences
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 1999–2000 16,723 931 6,375 15,793 14,461 19,851 
			 2000–01 19,854 1,061 6,835 13,770 12,021 17,075 
			 2001–02 23,137 1,362 7,915 14,314 11,012 16,687 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 2: Recorded offences in the Birmingham Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area—2002–03 to 2004–05 -- Number of offences
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 2002–03 22,002 1,340 5,976 11,811 10,244 15,745 
			 2003–04 23,903 1,377 6,164 12,170 9,811 13,949 
			 2004–05 24,036 1,446 5,135 8,250 7,248 10,583 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	
		Table 3: Recorded offences in the Solihull Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area—1999–2000 to 2001–02 -- Number of offences
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 1999–2000 2,225 105 324 1,904 1,850 3,658 
			 2000–01 2,543 107 467 1,765 1,522 3,467 
			 2001–02 2,382 126 663 1,815 1,377 3,147 
		
	
	Note:
	1.The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 4: Recorded offences in the Solihull Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area—2002–03 to 2004–05 -- Number of offences
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 2002–03 2,597 129 452 1,645 1,301 3,451 
			 2003–04 2,936 168 449 1,687 1,041 3,221 
			 2004–05 2,974 198 529 1,270 900 2,572 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Crime

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted under the Mobile Telephones (Reprogramming) Act 2002.

Hazel Blears: The available information taken from the Home Office court proceedings database shows the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty in 2003 for offences under the Mobile Telephones (Reprogramming) Act 2002.
	Data for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act 2002, England and Wales 2003(138)
		
			 Offence Proceeded against Found guilty 
		
		
			 Re-programming mobile telephone etc 11 3 
			 Possession or supply of anything for re-programming purposes 4 1 
		
	
	(138)These data are on the principal offence basis.

Crime

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the impact of alcohol-disorder designation on rents and rateable values for businesses within the zone.

Hazel Blears: The Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Alcohol Disorder Zone (ADZ) provision of the Violent Crime Reduction Bill has been printed.
	The ADZ is an instrument to tackle the problem of alcohol-related crime and disorder that afflicts a particular area. It is the problem rather than the means of tackling it that affect to the most serious degree the rents and rateable values of businesses.
	It should also be added that the ADZ is seen as a measure of last resort to deal with entrenched problems. The need for designation must be reviewed after three months by the local authority. It is not intended as a permanent measure but, by facilitating swift resolution of the problems, benefits all those within the zone.

Crime

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reoffending rate of offenders within the Hertfordshire probation area is.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not currently available.

Crime

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the value of the illegal drugs trade in (a) Huddersfield, (b) Yorkshire and (c) England in the past 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not routinely collected, although in 2001 the Home Office published a report that provided an estimate of the totalvalue of the illegal drugs market in the UK. The report is available on the RDS website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/occ74-drugs.pdf. It shows that the estimated total value of the UK market in 1998 was £6.6 billion.

Crime

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received from the manufacturers of airsoft guns on adapting to the provisions of the Violent Crime Reduction Bill.

Paul Goggins: We have received and are considering representations from a range of individuals and organisations about the effect the Violent Crime Reduction Bill will have on airsoft guns. Only realistic imitation firearms will be caught by the proposed ban on manufacture, import or sale and owners of existing guns will be able to retain and use them.

Crime

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research he has evaluated concerning the cost of crime to households in Barnet.

Hazel Blears: The updated cost of crime estimates were published by the Home Office on 30 June and show costs by crime type. A geographical breakdown of the estimates at local level is not available.

Crime

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) muggings and (b) drug-related crimes have been recorded in the area covered by the Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: Mugging is not a category of offence for police recorded crime. There is a mugging category for the British Crime Survey that includes robbery of personal property and snatch theft, but this does not provide data at the local level.
	The available information relates to the Middlesbrough Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area. Data at CDRP level are only available from 1999–2000. For 1999–2000 and 2000–01 only data for all robbery are available. From 2001–02 figures can be split between robbery of personal and business property.
	Because of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002, violent crime figures before and after that date are not directly comparable. It is estimated that the effect of the introduction nationally of the NCRS in April 2002 was a 20 per cent. increase in recorded violent crime in its first year.
	Information on drug-related offences is not collected centrally for recorded crime.
	
		Table 1: Robberies recorded by the police in the Middlesbrough Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area, 1999–2000 to 2001–02
		
			  All robbery offences Robbery of personal property Robbery of business property 
		
		
			 1999–2000 410 — — 
			 2000–01 522 — — 
			 2001–02 696 651 45 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 2: Robberies recorded by the police in the Middlesbrough Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area, 2002–03 and 2003–04
		
			  All robbery offences Robbery of personal property Robbery of business property 
		
		
			 2002–03 874 846 28 
			 2003–04 779 758 21 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Crime

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the most common forms of crime committed against young people of school age were in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England and Wales in the last year for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Statistics on crimes against young people of school age are not collected in this way. The most reliable source of information we have on the subject comes from the Youth Justice Board's MORI survey, a self report study of young people across England and Wales.

Crime

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the details of the Partnership Assessment and Delivery System for the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and community safety partnership.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office plans to officially launch the Partnership Assessment and Delivery System in November 2005. The Partnership Performance and Support Unit in the Home Office is currently designing and consulting on all components of the system. When the publication is available a copy will be placed in the Library.

Crime

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the datasets that his Department holds that include figures for the (a) Guildford, (b) Waverley crime and disorder reduction partnership areas and (c) West Surrey Basic Command Unit area.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office collects a number of datasets relating to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) and Basic Command Units (BCUs). These include monthly figures on crimes recorded by the police for all BCUs and CDRPs in England and Wales. These data are collected monthly and are broken down by offence type. Corresponding figures are collected for each BCU on detections, by method of detection.
	Figures for crimes recorded and crimes detected are published annually for each BCU and CDRP on the Home Office website for the key offences within violent crime, burglary and vehicle crime; and a more detailed offence breakdown for each CDRP is available on the website www.crimestatistics.org.uk. We also collect data relating to the performance of prolific and other priority offender schemes in each CDRP area. This is collected monthly.
	In addition, the Home Office collects annual data on numbers of police officers, probationers, police staff (i.e. civilians) and specials for each BCU. The police officer figures are published on the Home Office website. Under the Policing Performance Assessment Framework, data is also collected at BCU level in relation to user satisfaction of police services and officer and police staff sickness levels.

Crime

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the crime detection rates for (a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robberies, (d) burglaries, (e) theft of a vehicle and (f) theft from a vehicle were for (i) Guildford and (ii)Waverley crime and disorder reduction partnership areas in 2004–05.

Hazel Blears: Detection data are not recorded for crime and disorder reduction partnerships.

Crime

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2005, Official Report, column 751W, on crime and disorder statistics, what the crime detection rates were for (a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robberies, (d) burglaries, (e) theft of a vehicle and (f) theft from a vehicle in the West Surrey Basic Command Unit in each year since June 1997.

Hazel Blears: Recorded crime data for Basic Command Units (BCUs) was centrally collected from 1999–2000. West Surrey BCU was not formally created until 2001–02, though figures for 2000–01 were replicated from old boundaries for comparative purposes.
	
		West Surrey -- Detection rate percentage
		
			 Financial Year Burglary in dwelling Robbery Sexual offences Violence against the person Theft from vehicle Unauthorised taking of motor vehicle 
		
		
			 2000–01 15 42 n/a 77 5 16 
			 2001–02 12 35 40 71 4 17 
			 2002–03 8 32 37 60 3 16 
			 2003–04 13 33 38 60 7 28 
		
	
	n/a = not applicable
	Note:
	Due to boundary changes data for 1999–2000 is not available.

Crime

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the crime detection rates for (a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robberies, (d) burglaries, (e) theft of a vehicle and (f) theft from a vehicle, were in each of the basic command unit areas that cover Birmingham and Solihull in each year since 1998.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the tables. Data at Basic Command Unit level is only available from 1999–2000. It is estimated that the effect of the introduction nationally of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002 was a 23 per cent. increase in recorded violence against the person in its first year. This will also have impacted on detection rates. The introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in May 2004 resulted in substantial changes to the sexual offences. This means that figures for 2004–05 are not comparable with those for previous years.
	
		Table 1: Percentage of offences detected in the basic command units covering the Birmingham area 1999–2000 to 2001–02 -- Percentage detected
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 1999–2000 72 56 15 16 11 6 
			 2000–01 70 51 18 15 12 6 
			 2001–02 69 n/a 18 18 16 6 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	2.n/a = Not available.
	
		Table 2: Percentage of offences detected in the basic command units covering the Birmingham area 2002–03 to 2004–05 -- Percentage detected
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 2002–03 56 41 21 18 16 8 
			 2003–04(139) 48 38 22 20 16 8 
			 2004–05(140) 43 29 21 11 10 5 
		
	
	(139)The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	(140)The introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in May 2004 resulted in substantial changes to the sexual offences. This means that figures for 2004–05 are not comparable with those for previous years.
	
		Table 3: Percentage of offences detected in the Solihull basic command unit 1999–2000 to 2001–02 -- Percentage detected
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 1999–2000 73 54 25 21 23 9 
			 2000–01 72 64 31 15 17 10 
			 2001–02 71 n/a 20 23 22 9 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	2.n/a = Not available.
	
		Table 4: Percentage of offences detected in the Solihull basic command unit 2002–03 to 2004–05 -- Percentage detected
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 2002–03 60 47 23 16 23 8 
			 2003–04(141) 49 32 21 17 18 6 
			 2004–05(142) 43 24 18 8 12 2 
		
	
	(141)The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	(142)The introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in May 2004 resulted in substantial changes to the sexual offences. This means that figures for 2004–05 are not comparable with those for previous years.

Crime

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the (a) agencies and (b) partnerships responsible for the reduction of crime in North East Milton Keynes constituency.

Hazel Blears: The Milton Keynes Crime and Community Safety Partnership is the accountable body responsible for the reduction of crime within the Milton Keynes local authority area.
	The key partners, known as responsible authorities under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, consist of representatives from the local authority, police force, police authority, fire authority and the primary care trust. The partnership also works with a range of other partners, including parish councillors, prisons, probation, the drug action team and the youth offending team as well as the local strategic partnership and the local criminal justice board.

Crime

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to develop a unified scheme for recording crime statistics.

Hazel Blears: The recording and detecting of crime are governed by the Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime. These are instructions for the police for the counting and classifying of crime.
	In April 2002, the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced nationally across England and Wales. The aim of the NCRS is to promote greater consistency between police in the recording of crime and to take a more victim oriented approach to crime recording.
	Following the introduction of the NCRS, the National Crime Recording Steering Group (NCRSG) has met regularly to review the Counting Rules. The steering group includes members of Research Development and Statistics and the Police Standards Unit of the Home Office, force crime registrars and statistics officers, and representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. The Counting Rules are up-dated annually to reflect decisions taken by the NCRSG, changes in legislation and changes to improve clarity and ensure consistency in recording by police forces. In addition, rigorous audit procedures are in place to further ensure a consistent approach across all the police forces in England and Wales. The Counting Rules can be found on the main Home Office website at wvw.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/countrules.html.

Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants were (a) convicted and (b) not convicted in the Suffolk constabulary area in each of the last eight years.

Paul Goggins: Data from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of defendants convicted and not convicted at all courts in the Suffolk constabulary area 1996 to 2003 is contained in the table. Statistics for 2004 court proceedings will be available in the autumn.
	
		Defendents convicted and not convicted at all courts in Suffolk police force area,1996–2003(143)
		
			  Convicted Not convicted(144) 
		
		
			 1996 14,405 1,031 
			 1997 13,963 883 
			 1998 14,677 886 
			 1999 14,901 997 
			 2000 14,434 1,102 
			 2001 14,638 1,219 
			 2002 15,953 1,312 
			 2003 16,098 1,316 
		
	
	(143)These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(144)Includes those cases acquitted at the Crown court, discharged or dismissed at the magistrates courts.

Crime

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on levels of (a) violent crime, (b) sexual crime, (c) car crime, (d)robbery and (e) burglary in the Forest of Dean constituency.

Hazel Blears: Statistics covering 2003–04 and 2004–05 have been published for the offences requested for the Forest of Dean Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area. In addition to actual number of offences recorded, the statistics give percentage changes for the periods covered and rates per 1,000 population.
	The CDRP data is available on the Home Office website as a supplementary table to Crime in England and Wales 2004–05". The publication itself can be found at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0405.html.

Crime

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in (a) overall recorded crime, (b) burglaries and (c) vehicle thefts in (i) Essex, broken down by police division and (ii) Southend (A) has been since 1997 and (B) was between 1988 to 1996; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The available information for the periods requested relates to the Essex police force area as a whole. Statistics at basic command unit level have only been published since 1999.
	Although the percentage change figures have been provided in the table, changes in reporting and recording have had a significant impact on recorded crime data and this needs to be taken into account for percentage changes between 1997 and 2004–05.
	Since 1997, there have been two major changes to the way in which crime is recorded. The effect of the change in counting rules in 1998 was to artificially increase overall recorded crime in Essex by an estimated 10 per cent. It is also estimated that, following the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002, the impact on total recorded crime in Essex in 2002–03 was an increase of 21 per cent.

Crime

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the level of violent crimes in Southend has been in each year since 1995.

Hazel Blears: The available information relates to the Southend-on-Sea Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area and is given in the tables. Data at CDRP level is only available from 1999–2000.
	The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced in April 2002. It is estimated that this change in the method of recording created a 20 per cent. increase in the number of recorded violent crimes in its first year.
	
		Table 1: Recorded offences of violent crime in the Southend-on-Sea Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area—1999–2000 to 2001–02
		
			  Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Total violent crime 
		
		
			 1999–2000 1,463 157 166 1,786 
			 2000–01 1,414 135 148 1,697 
			 2001–02 1,444 139 217 1,800 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 2: Recorded offences of violent crime in the Southend-on-Sea Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area—2002–03 to 2004–05
		
			  Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Total violent crime 
		
		
			 2002–03 3,043 195 313 3,551 
			 2003–04 3,253 188 408 3,849 
			 2004–05 3,318 200 296 3,814 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Crime

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on detection rates of (a) violent crime, (b) sexual crime, (c) car crime, (d) robbery and (e) burglary in the Forest of Dean constituency.

Hazel Blears: Statistics covering detection rates 2003–04 and 2004–05 have been published for the offences requested for the Forest and Gloucester Basic Command Unit (BCU). In addition to the detection rates, the actual number of offences recorded and detected are also provided. The BCU data is available on the Home Office website as a supplementary table to Crime in England and Wales 2004/05". The publication itself can be found at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0405.html

Criminal Records Bureau

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2005, Official Report, column 1217W, on the criminal records bureau, what other forms of functionality have been added to the IT system in each of the last two years.

Andy Burnham: The Criminal Records Bureau maintains a continuous programme of IT development including extending process automation and support and has delivered substantial technical developments in line with legislation, including checking against the new POVA list and the introduction of the POVA First process tailored specifically for the care sector. The CRB has developed its IT system in line with the needs of the business and to further enhance the process wherever possible. Enhancements have also been made in line with the strategic aims of the bureau, with more planned in the future.
	It has also made significant enhancements to the accessibility of police information used in the checking process through the introduction of the I-PLX system, with the support and co-operation of all 43 police forces of England and Wales, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO). I-PLX is the first step towards a national database of police force intelligence and represents a significant advancement in the protection of the vulnerable.
	Other initiatives aimed at improving the service to its customers include upgrading the telephone system to enable calls to be routed more efficiently to agents, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and enhancements to invoicing processes.

CSPs

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests were made by (a) the Metropolitan police and (b) the National Criminal Intelligence Service to communications providers (CSPs) for the disclosure of communications traffic data in 2004, broken down by CSP; and how much was paid to the relevant companies for providing this data.

Hazel Blears: This information is not held centrally.

Cycling Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists were (a) charged and (b) convicted of passing a traffic light at red in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: Information on the number of people charged is not centrally collected.
	Passing a red traffic light is not a specific offence, however it is included in the offence of neglect of traffic directions under the Road Traffic Act 1988 SS.35 and 36. The relevant data for 1999–2003 are provided in the table.
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for neglect of traffic regulations under the Road Traffic Act 1988 Sections 35 and 36England and Wales 1999–2003(145)
		
			  Proceeded against Found guilty 
		
		
			 1999 63 60 
			 2000 52 47 
			 2001 38 34 
			 2002 19 16 
			 2003 38 31 
		
	
	(145)These data are on a principal offence basis.
	Note:
	Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.

Departmental Expenditure

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Moray constituency and (ii) Highland region was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Charles Clarke: The Home Office does not retain information by constituency. The Departmental Report 2004–05 page 128 Table 6.6 identifies expenditure on services, by country which includes the figures for Scotland only.

Departmental Expenditure

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Dundee East constituency, (ii)Tayside and (iii) the City of Dundee was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Charles Clarke: The Home Office does not retain information by constituency. The Departmental Report 2004–05 page 128 Table 6.6 identifies expenditure on services, by country which includes the figures for Scotland only.

Departmental Expenditure

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Banff and Buchan and (ii) the North East of Scotland was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Charles Clarke: The Home Office does not retain information by constituency. The Departmental Report 2004–05 page 128 Table 6.6 identifies expenditure on services, by country which includes the figures for Scotland only.

Departmental Expenditure

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in Perth and North Perthshire was for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Charles Clarke: The Home Office does not retain information by constituency. The Departmental Report 2004–05 page 128 Table 6.6 identifies expenditure on services, by country which includes the figures for Scotland only.

Departmental Expenditure

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on (i) electricity and (ii) water and sewerage services in each year from 1997.

Charles Clarke: The table shows expenditure on electricity and water for the years 1997–98 onwards. The departmental electricity and water expenditure for key Home Office (non prisons) buildings for 2004–05 is not yet available. The figures for the Home Office (non prisons) includes key sites on the Department's other agency estates. Separate figures for these agency sites could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		£
		
			  Home Office (non prisons)(146) HM Prison Service 
			  Electricity Water Electricity Water 
		
		
			 1997–98 1,373,063 (147)— 14,448,221 10,511,619 
			 1998–99 1,441,853 (147)— 14,017,081 11,171,786 
			 1999–2000 1,928,377 311,947 15,533,183 11,311,562 
			 2000–01 2,017,331 351,987 16,823,070 9,491,363 
			 2001–02 2,562,161 323,350 12,645,259 10,041,407 
			 2002–03 2,576,900 175,993 12,477,271 10,761,183 
			 2003–04 2,783,686 192,341 13,814,118 11,126,677 
			 2004–05 (147)— (147)— 16,267,718 11,376,869 
		
	
	(146)These costs relate to key buildings only.
	(147)Not available.

Departmental Staff

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalents have worked for the Department for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available.

Charles Clarke: This information is available in table C of Civil Service Statistics 2004 which is available on the Cabinet Office website or from the Library. This table shows the number of staff in the Home Office and its agencies between 1998 and 2004 on a full-time equivalent basis.

Departmental Offices

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what total floor space area of building is owned and leased by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies.

Charles Clarke: The Home Office owns 247,740 square metres of floor space and leases 511,302 square metres. Its agencies own 3,660,230 square metres and leases 36,413 square metres.
	The properties comprise offices, residential accommodation, prisons and other specialised buildings.
	The figures include premises that are held under service agreements and those where costs are shared with other Government Departments where the other Department pays the rent. Residential properties, both owned and leased, have been excluded as the floor areas of this type of property are not known.

Domestic Violence

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has undertaken into whether there are linkages between domestic violence and cases of animal cruelty; and what steps he is taking to tackle each.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office has not commissioned or undertaken any research into the links between domestic violence and animal cruelty.
	There have, however, been a number of studies, conducted in the United States that have aimed to explore the links between animal cruelty and family violence. In addition, organisations in the United Kingdom including the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (RSPCA) have also undertaken studies, which have looked at the links between serious animal abuse and family violence. These studies suggest that there may be some links between the serious abuse of animals and family violence, including the abuse of children. Although they are of interest it should be noted that most of these studies involve small sample sizes, many of the populations studied are non-representative and no control or comparison groups have been incorporated into the research design. The findings from these studies should, therefore, be treated with a degree of caution.

Domestic Violence

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 since it came into force.

Paul Goggins: Information on prosecutions under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 are not available; not all sections of the act have yet been implemented. Statistics of court proceedings for 2005 will be published in the autumn of 2006.

Drugs

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated number is of crimes committed by cocaine and heroin drug users in England and Wales in each year between 2001 and 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Crime statistics used for monitoring overall crime trends, such as recorded crime and the British Crime Survey, do not contain information about the drug habits of individual offenders. It is therefore not possible to provide figures for the total number of crimes committed by drug users each year.
	The crimes committed by drug users are frequently acquisitive crimes committed to obtain money to buy drugs. Between 2001–02 and 2004–05 there has been a 14 per cent. reduction in these crimes overall. This includes a 23 per cent. decrease in burglary, a 27 per cent. reduction in robbery and an 8 per cent. reduction in shoplifting over this time period.
	The Home Office sponsored New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) survey, which involved interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police, provides an insight into the proportion of crimes that are drug related. In the study carried out between 1999 and 2001 at 16 custody suites in high crime areas across England and Wales, 38 per cent. of all arrestees included in the survey tested positive for opiates such as heroin, and cocaine/crack. However, the proportion testing positive was higher among those arrested for acquisitive offences: 57 per cent. for those arrested for burglary, 60 per cent. for those arrested for robbery; and 66 per cent. for those arrested for shoplifting.
	A new Arrestee Survey is currently being undertaken which will provide more comprehensive and nationally representative information on the proportion of crime that is drug-related in the future.

Drugs

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders who tested positive for drugs at charge (a) completed treatment and (b) dropped out of treatment before completion in each month since January 2004.

Paul Goggins: Data on the drug treatment of individuals is currently stored in the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS). The data is confidential and there are complex issues in matching this with Criminal Justice data about individuals. While it is possible to do this on an anonymised basis, the information requested could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	We are currently considering ways of improving the monitoring of treatment completion and individual offenders' criminal justice history, which will include drug testing.

Drugs

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the implementation of (a) drug treatment testing orders and (b) drug rehabilitation requirements is administered by his Department; what the cost of the administration of (i) drug treatment testing orders and (ii) drug rehabilitation requirements by his Department was in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Interventions Unit of the National Probation Directorate (NPD) has the main national responsibility for issuing guidance and is responsible for overseeing the delivery of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) and Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) by the National Probation Service (NPS) in accordance with National Standards. The staff costs of the small team that carry out this work are estimated to be £125,000 per annum.
	Probation areas in England are responsible for the supervision and enforcement of DTTOs/DRRs. Welsh areas have the additional responsibility of commissioning DTTO/DRR treatment and testing provision. In 2005–06 £39 million was allocated to probation areas in England and Wales; £7 million to the national offender management service; and the remaining £42 million to the Department of Health Pooled Treatment Budget (out of a total of £88 million DTTO/DRR funding).

Drugs

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) facilities and (b) premises are provided by his Department in Mid-Bedfordshire for the provision of (i) drug treatment and testing and (ii) rehabilitation of offenders; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: All adult offenders in Mid-Bedfordshire serving community sentences or subject to supervision following their release from prison on licence are case managed by probation staff based at Bedfordshire probation area's office at 41 Harpur Street, Bedford. This includes offenders subject to Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs), Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) of the new community order, drug testing licence conditions and Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPOs) with drug misuse problems. Assessments, offender management interviews, delivery of accredited offending behaviour programmes and drug testing, where appropriate, take place at these premises.
	Young offenders from Mid-Bedfordshire serving community sentences under the youth justice system are supervised by Bedfordshire Youth Offending Service at 39 Oakwood Avenue, Dunstable.
	The other facilities and premises for the provision of drug treatment and testing and the rehabilitation of offenders in Mid-Bedfordshire are as set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Name of provider Address of premises Description of facilities 
		
		
			 Healthlink 26 Bromham Road, Bedford Provides clinical input e.g. prescribing and drug testing to offenders on DTTOs/DRRs 
			
			 CAN 44 Bromham Road, Bedford Delivers structured day care and counselling to offenders on DTTOs/DRRs 
			
			 Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) 105–107 Tavistock Street, Bedford, MK40 2RR 2 Albion Street, Dunstable, LU6 1SA Assessment of offenders within the Criminal Justice System and referral to the most appropriate of 15 treatment services within Bedford or Dunstable. 
			
			
			 PUKE 32 St John's Street, Bedford, MK42 ODH Provides counselling and group work for young offenders 
			
			 Plan B 26–28 Bromham Road, Bedford, MK40 2QD Delivers clinical input e.g. prescribing to young offenders

Drugs

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-governmental voluntary bodies within (a) England and (b) Hertfordshire are included in the implementation of drug treatment testing orders and drug rehabilitation requirement.

Paul Goggins: This information is not available centrally for England and Wales and could be only collected at disproportionate cost.
	The treatment and testing components of drug treatment and testing orders (DTTOs) and drug rehabilitation requirements (DRRs) in England are commissioned by local drug action teams (DATs). Probation areas are responsible for the supervision and enforcement of DTTOs/DRRs and the delivery of some interventions. Welsh probation areas are funded to meet full DTTO/DRR costs.
	There are three non-governmental voluntary sector treatment providers involved in the implementation of DTTOs and DRRs in Hertfordshire: Drugcare; Druglink and Vale House Stabilisation Service.
	Drugcare
	29 Upper Lattimore Road
	St. Albans
	Hertfordshire
	AL1 3UA
	Druglink
	Trefoil House
	Red Lion Lane
	Hemel Hempstead
	Hertfordshire
	HP3 9TE
	Vale House Stabilisation Service
	43 Cowbridge
	Hertford
	Hertfordshire SG14 1PN

Drugs

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated value is of seizures of (a) heroin and (b) cocaine in the UK in 2003–04; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Data on the value of heroin and cocaine seizures in 2003–04 is not collated by the Home Office.
	The most recent data on the estimated street value of heroin and cocaine seized is available in Drug Seizure and Offender Statistics, United Kingdom, 2000. The figures for cocaine and heroin are provided in table one. They show that in 2000, the estimated street value of all cocaine and heroin seizures was £256,393,000 and £236,708,000, respectively.
	The most recent data on the volume of drug seizures made by UK police and customs is from 2002, published in Drug Seizures and Offender Statistics, United Kingdom 2001 and 2002. In that year, 2,730 kilos of heroin and 3,580 kilos of cocaine were seized. Copies of this report are available on the RDS website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/hosb0804.pdf.
	
		Table 1: Estimated street value of UK heroinand cocaine seizures in 2000 -- £
		
			  UK Police UK Customs All seizures 
		
		
			 Cocaine 102,297,000 154,096,000 256,393,000 
			 Heroin 139,277,000 94,431,000 236,708,000 
		
	
	Source:
	Drug Seizure and Offender Statistics, United Kingdom, 2000.

Drugs

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned on the relationship between drug use and gun crime.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 21 July 2005
	The Home Office sponsored New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) survey, which involved interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police, included questions on carrying guns. A paper based on the data has been published by T. H. Bennett and K. Holloway, Possession and use of illegal guns among criminals in England and Wales" (Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol 43, No three, pp 237–252). The Home Office has also conducted an Arrestee Survey which may highlight this issue. The results of this survey will be published later this year. There have also been discussions in the context of the Home Secretary's round table on gun crime, which has looked at possible links and appropriate interventions.
	This research is used to inform policy and legislative proposals. The Violent Crime Reduction Bill includes a number of measures designed to further tighten the firearms legislation, including a ban on the manufacture, import or sale of realistic imitation firearms, an increase from a maximum of six to 12 months sentence for carrying an imitation firearm in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, and an increase in the minimum age for possession of an air weapon to 18. The Bill also includes a new offence of using another person to look after, hide or transport a dangerous weapon. These measures complement existing legislation and demonstrate our determination to tackle gun crime.

Drugs

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many road traffic accidents drivers (a) had been using and (b) tested positive for drugs in the last 12 months, broken down by police authority.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not collected on the Home Office motoring offences database or on the recorded crime database.

Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the street price of (a) heroin, (b) cocaine and (c) cannabis in each of the past 10 years.

Paul Goggins: UK average prices for (a) heroin, (b) cocaine and (c) cannabis resin and herbal cannabis for the past 10 years are shown in the table.
	
		£ per ounce
		
			  Herbal cannabis Cannabis resin 
		
		
			 July 1995 95 100 
			 September 1996 91 114 
			 December 1997 95 97 
			 December 1998 91 93 
			 December 1999 89 100 
			 December 2000 82 85 
			 December 2001 80 77 
			 December 2002 83 81 
			 December 2003 72 66 
			 December 2004 72 61 
		
	
	
		£ per gram
		
			  Heroin Cocaine 
		
		
			 July 1995 88 80 
			 December 1996 72 69 
			 December 1997 74 71 
			 December 1998 74 77 
			 December 1999 65 63 
			 December 2000 70 65 
			 December 2001 63 60 
			 December 2002 61 56 
			 December 2003 62 55 
			 December 2004 55 51

Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons have been free of all illegal drugs use in each of the past five years; and what proportion they represent of all prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Mandatory Drug Testing (MDT) programme monitors levels of drug misuse. Prisoners are tested routinely for a panel of seven illegal drugs. No prison, in the past five years, has been entirely free of illegal drugs.

Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets for reduction in the use of illegal drugs were published by the Government in 1998.

Paul Goggins: The Comprehensive Spending Review, published in July 1998, set out targets for the reduction in the use of illegal drugs as follows:
	To reduce the proportion of people under 25 reporting using illegal drugs;
	To reduce levels of repeat offending among drug misusing offenders;
	To increase the participation of problem drug misusers, including prisoners, in drug treatment programmes which have a positive impact on health and reducing crime; and
	To reduce access to all drugs among those aged between five to 16 years.
	These targets were revised in subsequent Spending Reviews to reflect the developing evidence base. The current Public Service Agreement targets agreed in Spending Review 2004 have a clear focus on outcomes and delivery, and are both challenging and measurable.

Drugs

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 127W, on the Drugs Act 2005, if he will break the figures down by the relevant sections of the Act.

Paul Goggins: The table sets out the estimates of additional prosecutions and additional convictions in a full year arising from various provisions of the Drugs Act 2005.
	I regret that an arithmetical error resulted in the estimate for convictions arising from section two being omitted from the total estimate of convictions provided in the answer given on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 127W. I have written to the hon. Member for Newport West (Paul Flynn) correcting the error and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.
	
		
			 Provision in the Drugs Act 2005 Estimated additional prosecutions Estimated additional convictions 
		
		
			 Part one   
			 Section one—Aggravated supply 0 0 
			 Section two—Proof intention of to supply 0 299 
			 Part two   
			 Police Powers. Sections three, four, five and six—X-rays ultrasounds and intimate searches 0 105 
			 Section eight—Extended detention 100 100 
			 Part three   
			 Sections nine to 19—Assessment of Misuse of Drugs (DIP provisions) 2,966 1,780 
			 Part four   
			 Miscellaneous. Section 21—Magic mushrooms 10 10

Emergency Helplines (Charges)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the telephone charges to those calling emergency helpline numbers, with particular reference to the London bombings; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: When the Casualty Bureau was opened on 7 July 2005, it was accessed through an 0870 number. The cost of those calls varied depending upon the caller's telephone service provider.
	On 15 July, I announced an urgent review of the use of 0870 numbers in respect of the Casualty Bureau. That review has now taken place and, with immediate effect, the use of 0870 numbers will be discontinued in respect of Casualty Bureau access to the public. 0800 numbers will be made available as the main contact number between the Police Service Casualty Bureau and the public.
	0800 freephone numbers are free at the point of use to landline customers. Mobile users are likely to be charged based upon their mobile tariff. 0800 numbers may not be accessed from overseas and an alternative 020 geographic number is therefore being provided primarily for the use of overseas callers. This number is also available to UK customers, including those using mobile phones who may find the charges lower than the standard rate for 0800.

Emergency Response Times

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time to an emergency call to the police was for each police authority in each of the last 10 years.

Hazel Blears: This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Emergency Response Times

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time to an emergency call to the police was in Sheffield, Hallam in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The average response times to emergency calls to the police in Sheffield, Hallam are given in the table.
	Sheffield Hallam constituency is not a co-terminous force area, therefore these figures are approximate. Data prior to December 2002 is not available.
	
		
			 Period Number of immediate response incidents with recorded response time available Average response time (in seconds) 
		
		
			 December 2002 151 446 
			 2003 1951 339 
			 2004 2,053 324 
			 2005 (to date) 1,213 224

Emergency Response Times

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many emergency 999 calls were made in (a) Essex and (b) the Metropolitan police area of London in each of the last five years, broken down by emergency service responding.

Paul Goggins: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMCIC) publishes statistics on the number of 999 calls received. The latest available statistics relate to 2003–04 and are published in table five of HMCIC's Annual Report. The publication is available via the Home Office website: http://www.official-ocuments.co.uk/document/deps/hc/hc171/171.pdf
	The equivalent figures for earlier years, up to 2000–01, are available from previous annual reports, copies of which should be in the Library.

European Community Association Agreement

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time for a decision on an application for leave to remain under the provisions of the European Community Association Agreement was in the last period for which figures are available .

Tony McNulty: The average waiting time for Bulgarian and Romanian European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) applications in the last period for which figures are available was 258 working days. Information about Turkish ECAA applications is not currently available but is scheduled to be published with other relevant data in late August 2005. It should be noted that consideration of all applications made under the provisions of the ECAA was suspended on 30 March 2004 and has been resumed in stages with Bulgarian and Romanian switching cases re- starting on 1 October 2004, further leave and indefinite leave to remain on 14 February 2005 and all Turkish cases on 9 May 2005. All ECAA applications continue to be dealt with in strict order of original receipt.

European Constitution

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what competent authorities in the UK would fall under the remit of the Standing Committee on Internal Security created in Article 111–261 of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, should the Constitution be ratified.

Andy Burnham: In the absence of agreement on the Constitutional Treaty no decision has been taken on whether to establish an internal security committee. Accordingly, it is not appropriate to decide which competent authorities would be members of, or be represented by, the United Kingdom's delegation to such a committee, as this would depend on its precise remit.

European Enforcement Order

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June 2005, on the relationship between this Order and the European Arrest Warrant;
	(2)  if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June, on the criminalisation of unlawful residence;
	(3)  if he will make a statement in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150 vol 48 of 21 June, Article 7, on cases involving xenophobia;
	(4)  if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June 2005, Article 7, on the list of terrorist organisations to be recognised;
	(5)  if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June, on the mechanism for determining the nature of the prison regime to be used;
	(6)  if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June, on the right of appeal; what grounds exist; what higher system of appeal exists; what time scale is permitted; and what legal aid is available;
	(7)  if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June 2005, on the central administrative authority to be designated for the UK;

Fiona Mactaggart: The draft Framework Decision on the European Enforcement Order and the transfer of sentenced persons between member states of the European Union is at the early stages of negotiation and is subject to a UK Parliamentary scrutiny reservation. The draft Framework Decision is intended to speed up and simplify the existing arrangements for the transfer of prisoners between member states of the EU. It is also intended to facilitate the return of prisoners extradited in accordance with Article 5(3) of the Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2000 on the European Arrest Warrant, where surrender of own nationals or residents was subject to a condition that the person would be returned in order to serve any sentence imposed.
	Article 7 of the draft Framework Decision proposes a list of generic offences for which dual criminality would not be required in order to execute a European Enforcement Order. The restriction on the application of dual criminality has been accepted by the Government as a necessary element of the mutual recognition arrangements which are to form the basis for judicial co-operation within the EU. The proposed list of offences corresponds to that in the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant and in the Council Framework Decision of 22 July 2003 on the execution in the European Union of orders freezing property or evidence.
	The draft Framework Decision does not require prisoners to consent to the transfer, although they must be given an opportunity to express their opinion. Prisoners do not have a right of appeal under the proposed Framework Decision. However, prisoners in the United Kingdom will be able to seek judicial review of any decision made, for which they may be granted publicly funded legal aid.
	Prisoners transferred under the draft Framework Decision will be subject to the same prison regime as any other prisoner sentenced in the executing state.
	It is likely that the National Offender Management Service will be designated as the central authority for England and Wales. The designation of a central authority for Scotland and for Northern Ireland is a matter for Scottish Ministers and for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

European Public Prosecutor

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement, in the context of the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June 2005, Article seven, on the development of the European Public Prosecutor

Paul Goggins: The draft Framework Decision on the European Enforcement Order has no implications for the development of a European Public Prosecutor (EPP). Any proposal for the development of an EPP remains subject to ratification of the Constitutional Treaty and the unanimous agreement of the member states. We remain unconvinced that the creation of an EPP is necessary or desirable.

Explosives Detection Systems

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the likely role of new generation terahertz scanners in detecting potential bomb attacks.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (formerly the Police Scientific Development Branch) has been developing a terahertz-based explosives detection capability since April 2003. Techniques have the potential for identifying explosives hidden under clothing, as well as producing images of hidden items. The work is carried out in close liaison with the police service, Department for Transport and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to ensure that it addresses their specific operational requirements. Effort is split between commercial contractors who are developing instrumentation, and in-house work to determine the physical limitations of the technology.
	Although the full potential of terahertz technology is not likely to be realised for several years, some capability may be available in the shorter term.

Explosives Detection Systems

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding his Department has allocated to research into the use of ion mobility spectrometers to detect minute particles of explosives in public places in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: Explosives trace detection systems based Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) have been in use for many years. In recent years they have been widely deployed at UK airports. The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (formerly the Police Scientific Development Branch) routinely tests new trace detection systems and gives advice on their performance to customers such as the police service and Department for Transport.
	The test methods used are agreed with the customers and kept under review to ensure they are relevant to the currently perceived terrorist threat. The equipment is supplied by manufacturers free of charge for the trials period.
	Unfortunately, since the testing of IMS systems is done as part of a larger programme of evaluation of search and detection equipment it is not possible to say specifically how much it costs each year.

Faith Awareness Training

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in the Department received faith awareness training in 2004.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office holds an annual diversity week to raise staff awareness of all diversity issues including faith. In 2004, diversity week included presentations on Buddhism, a Ramadan awareness session, business planning/managing workload around religious festivals and visits to different places of worship.
	The Home Office has also published A brief guide to Major Religious and Cultural Observance in the UK" that gives information on the 11 most observed religions or cultures in the UK. The guide is intended to assist managers when considering applications for leave for religious or cultural occasions or when scheduling meetings or other events. The Home Office publishes a notice each year giving specific dates for each of the religious festivals detailed in the guide.

Faryadi Zardad

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total costs are to date of the investigation, detention and hearings related to the two trials of Faryadi Zardad, broken down by (a) legal aid support, (b) police costs, (c) benefits, (d) custody costs, (e) trial costs and (f) other costs.

Fiona Mactaggart: The costs associated with the investigation and prosecution of Faryadi Zardad have not been fully assessed and to provide them at this stage would involve a number of other departments and agencies and would incur a disproportionate cost.

Fixed-penalty Notices

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices for disorder have been issued in Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997, broken down by category; and what percentage of fines has been collected in each case.

Paul Goggins: The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 provided for penalty notices for disorder. Pilots took place between August 2002 and September 2003 and the scheme was rolled out to all police forces in England and Wales during the 2003–04 financial year.
	Penalty notices for disorder were first issued in Cambridgeshire in April 2004. The available information on the number of notices issued in Cambridgeshire in the 12 months from April 2004 to March 2005 is provided in the table and includes the percentage of penalties that were paid.
	The recipient of a penalty notice has 21 days in which to pay the penalty or request a court hearing. If no action is taken within this time a fine of one and a half times the penalty is registered against the recipient. The fine is then enforced by the courts. The current payment rate for fines is 80 per cent.
	
		Penalty Notices issued in Cambridgshire from1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005
		
			  Penalty notices issued Paid in full Percentage paid in full 
		
		
			 Wasting police time or giving false report 3 2 67 
			 Using public telecommunications system for sending false messages 1 0 0 
			 Causing harassment, alarm or distress 158 88 56 
			 Throwing fireworks in a thoroughfare 2 0 0 
			 Drunk and disorderly 263 152 58 
			 Destroying/damaging property (under £500) 26 20 77 
			 Theft (retail under £200) 28 18 64 
			 Trespassing on a railway 1 0 0 
			 Being drunk in a highway, other public place or licensed premises 56 38 68 
			 Consumption of alcohol in designated public place 6 1 17 
			 Depositing and leaving litter 4 2 50 
			 Total 548 321 59

Fixed-penalty Notices

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices for fly-posting and graffiti have been issued since the implementation of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003; and what percentage have been collected.

Ben Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The power to issue fixed penalty notices for graffiti and fly-posting offences came into force in March 2004. Data for the year April 2004 to March 2005 are still being collected, with 170 returns forms received to date from England and Wales' 358 local authorities. These 170 authorities issued 19 fixed penalty notices for graffiti over the year, of which 74 per cent. were paid, and 57 fixed penalty notices for fly posting, of which 79 per cent. were paid.

Fly-tipping

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of fly-tipping were reported in Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not collected centrally. Unauthorised dumping" is an offence under Section 2 of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978. It is a summary offence and is not included in the recorded crime statistics.

Fly-tipping

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for fly-tipping there were in Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The available information is contained in the following table and gives the number of defendants proceeded against for fly-tipping" offences for Cambridgeshire police force area, 1997 to 2003. Statistics on court proceedings for 2004 will be published in the autumn.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for fly-tipping" offences(148)(5508090149), Cambridgeshire police force area,1997 to 2003
		
			  Proceeded against 
		
		
			 1997 4 
			 1998 9 
			 1999 3 
			 2000 1 
			 2001 — 
			 2002 — 
			 2003 — 
		
	
	(148)These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(149)Includes offences under: Environmental Protection Act 1990, Secs 33 (6) (8) (9), 34 and 59.

Foreign Nationals (Detention)

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals are held in prisons or other establishments awaiting deportation, broken down by (a) nationality and (b) establishment.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of foreign nationals awaiting deportation is unavailable.
	Information on the number of persons who were detained under Immigration Act powers, and of those the number awaiting deportation is not available. It would only be available by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
	The Prison Service does not record information on deportation orders on the Inmate Information System. Information on the number of persons held in prison who are the subject of a deportation order is not therefore available except by examination of individual case-files, at disproportionate cost.
	Work is ongoing to improve the quality of data held on those people detained under Immigration Act powers in Prison Service establishments.

Freedom of Information

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests have been answered by the Department; and in how many cases (a) information was wholly exempted, (b) information was partly exempted and (c) the requests were answered in full.

Charles Clarke: 512 Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 requests were answered by the department in the period January to March of this year. Of these 189 were wholly exempted, 61 were partly exempted and 171 were answered in full. The remaining 91 responses related to requests where the information was not held by the department.
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) is committed to publishing quarterly updates in relation to departmental performance under FOI, including information on both the volume and outcomes of requests. The first of these updates was published on 23 June 2005 and can be found both on the DCA website at http://www.foi.gov.uk/statsjan-mar05.htm and in the Library. The next bulletin is due in the autumn of this year, while an annual report is also to be published in early 2006.

Full-time Staff

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed in his Department in each financial year from 1997–98; and what the payroll costs were in each year.

Charles Clarke: Details of staff numbers and payroll costs are taken from Home Office departmental reports. The only exception to this are the payroll costs for 2004–05, where the costs are taken from the pre-audit resource accounts 2004–05. Full details are supplied with the table.
	The following table shows the average number of civil service staff employed in the Home Office group.
	
		Average number of civil service staff employed in theHome Office group
		
			  Total staff numbers 
		
		
			 1997–98 52,683 
			 1998–99 53,363 
			 1999–2000 53,461 
			 2000–01 61,715 
			 2001–02 61,726 
			 2002–03 65,299 
			 2003–04 70,319 
			 2004–05 73,306 
		
	
	Note:
	Staff numbers for 1997–98 and 1998–99 are from the Home Office Departmental Report 2002–03 (Cm 5908); the figures for 1999–2000 onwards are from the Home Office Departmental Report 2004–05 (Cm 6528). The figures give the full-time equivalent (FTE) number of permanent civil servants and are calculated on a five-quarter moving average. They include an allowance for overtime and casual appointments.
	The following table shows payroll costs for the Home Office group. These are taken from the Home Office Departmental Report 2002–03 (Cm 5908) for 1998–99 to 2003–4. Figures for 1997–98 are not available. The figure for 2004–05 is from the pre-audit resource accounts 2004–05.
	
		Payroll costs for the Home Office group -- £000
		
			  Payroll 
		
		
			 1997–98 — 
			 1998–99 1,272,182 
			 1999–2000 1,312,821 
			 2000–01 1,434,636 
			 2001–02 1,647,136 
			 2002–03 1,742,394 
			 2003–04 2,016,593 
			 2004–05 2,167,602 
		
	
	Note:
	The payroll figures reported in the departmental report include costs for the Criminal Records Bureau and for the National Probation Service. They are not therefore directly comparable with the staff numbers, which include permanent civil servants employed by the Home Office and its main agencies.

Gun Crime

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2005, Official Report, column 530W, on gun crime, if he will publish the statistics for gun crime deaths by police force area.

Hazel Blears: The number of fatalities involving firearms, excluding air weapons, between 1999–2000 and 2003–04 is shown in the table.
	
		Fatalities involving firearms(150)(excluding air weapons) in England and Wales by police force
		
			 Police force area 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 0 2 0 6 3 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 0 2 0 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 1 0 0 2 
			 Dorset 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 1 2 1 0 
			 Essex 1 1 1 4 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 9 10 11 6 8 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 1 0 0 2 
			 Humberside 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 3 2 2 0 1 
			 Lancashire 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Leicestershire 2 0 1 0 1 
			 Lincolnshire 0 2 2 1 1 
			 London, City of 0 0 0 0 0 
			 London, Metropolitan 24 28 44 35 23 
			 Merseyside 3 3 6 5 5 
			 Norfolk 1 1 0 1 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 2 0 1 
			 Northumbria 4 2 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 0 1 3 3 
			 South Wales 0 0 0 1 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 2 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 1 1 0 
			 Suffolk 0 1 0 1 0 
			 Surrey 0 5 0 0 0 
			 Sussex 0 0 2 1 1 
			 Thames Valley 1 2 0 0 4 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 1 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 3 4 7 9 8 
			 West Yorkshire 1 3 7 1 4 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 1 0 0 
			   
			 England and Wales 62 72 96 80 68 
		
	
	(150)By weapons being fired, used as a blunt instrument or in a threat.

Harmful Gaseous Substances

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department has put in place to respond to a deliberate release of harmful gaseous substances.

Charles Clarke: The emergency services, Government Departments and agencies, local authorities and other relevant organisations have contingency plans in place to enable them to provide a multi-agency response to a wide range of incidents including the deliberate release of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) substances and material. It would not be appropriate to disclose details about specific operational and technical procedures as these might be of potential use to terrorists.
	The Government have published a wide range of advice for responders and consequence managers on the deliberate release of CBRN substances which can be accessed through the following website: UK Resilience (www.ukresilience.info/home.htm).

Hate Crime

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to protect the Muslim community from reprisals following the bombings on 7 July, with particular reference to Brent; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: It is for chief officers of police to decide how best to protect members of the public from being attacked. I understand that the Association of Chief Police Officers has issued guidance to forces reminding them of the need to pay particular attention to communicating with, and providing appropriate levels of policing to, communities which may feel vulnerable to attack following the bombings in London.
	In Brent, as elsewhere, the police established a security group headed by a senior officer, the Muslim community is represented on the group, and extra patrols have also been deployed to protect and reassure communities who feel vulnerable. Police officers have received specific briefing to ensure that hate crimes are identified, recorded and investigated robustly.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many participants there have been in the Home Detention Curfew Scheme in London in each month since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Information on the home address of persons participating in the Home Detention Curfew Scheme (HDC) is not recorded centrally. The number of participants in the HDC Scheme who were discharged from London prisons is available and is provided in a table which will be placed in the Library.
	The figures refer to the number of persons recorded as participating in the HDC Scheme on the last Friday of the month, and are not available for the period January 1999 to February 2000.

Human Rights

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what elements of the EU Human Rights Agency have been agreed to be established; what elements have been established; what the treaty basis is for those elements; and if he will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	A European Council working group attended by all member states has begun to consider the European Commission's proposal for the establishment of a Fundamental Rights Agency and will develop the details of the proposal during the UK Presidency. The Government consider the legal base for the proposed agency should be Article 308 of the Treaty of the European Community.

Identity Card Scheme

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with representatives of the shipping industry on the implementation of the ID card scheme.

Andy Burnham: Home Office officials are engaged in discussions with the Department for Transport (DfT). These will continue and will take account of relevant outcomes of the DfT's and the Maritime Coastguard Agency's discussions with their social partners.

Identity Card Scheme

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will identify those items in the database of registerable facts associated with the identity card which are not considered to be personal data as defined in the Data Protection Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The definition of personal data" is set out in section one of the Data Protection Act. It is as follows.
	Personal data" means data which relate to a living individual who can be identified:
	(a) from those data, or
	(b) from those data and other information which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller, and includes any expression of opinion about the individual and any indication of the intentions of the data controller or any other person in respect of the individual.
	Whether or not data is personal therefore depends on whether it relates to an individual and whether he can be identified from that data either on its own or in conjunction with other data.
	The information which may be recorded in the National Identity Register is set out in schedule 1 of the Identity Cards Bill. Although much of the data held on the National Identity Register could not, on its own, identify the individual to whom it relates, some items of data in a person's entry on the register could be used, in conjunction with other data in his entry, to identify him.
	Any information recorded under paragraphs 1 to 4, 5(a) , 7(a) , 7(b) , 8 and 9 of schedule 1 will most likely fall within the definition of personal information. Any information recorded under paragraphs 5(b) , 5(c) ,6, 7(c) , 7(d) and 7(e) will most likely fall outside of the definition. Paragraph 5(c) allows for the recording of a person's date of death. Information which relates to a dead person is not personal data for the purposes of the Data Protection Act.
	None of the information listed in schedule 1 of the Identity Cards Bill falls within the definition of sensitive personal data as defined in the Data Protection Act.

Identity Card Scheme

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what methodology was used to arrive at the estimates contained in the document Identity Cards Scheme Benefits Overview on the financial benefits to (a) citizens, (b) the public sector and (c) the private sector; which (i) public, (ii) private and (iii) voluntary sector organisations were consulted as part of the research; how much the research cost to conduct; and what the duration of the research was from commissioning to completion.

Charles Clarke: The methodology used to calculate the Identity Card Scheme's financial and economic benefits is based on the Treasury's Green Book: Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government" guidelines. This outlines how public sector proposals should be appraised before significant funds are committed.
	In addition, our estimates have been developed based on input from stakeholders based on a consistent set of assumptions. Associated costs, potential dis-benefits and risks are accounted for and updated regularly using best information available at the time. In the course of conducting our benefits research, the following organisations have been consulted:
	Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driving Standards Authority, Office of e-Envoy, Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Confederation of British Industry, Department of Health (DoH), the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Royal Mail, Post Office, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Department for Work and Pensions (DWPO, Bichard Projects involving CRB and DfES, Criminal Justice Information Technology (CJIT), UK Passport Service (UKPS), UK Visas, Board of Airline Representatives, British Air Transport Association, Office of National Statistics (ONS), Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), E-Borders Programme, Department for Transport (DfT), the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), Newham Council, Greenwich Council, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Telecommunications UK Fraud Forum (TUFF), British Bankers Association, Association of Payment Clearance Services (APACS), Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance, Financial Services Authority(FSA).
	In addition, a consultation group of 35 employers were engaged through HMRC to discuss benefits relating to payroll and human resource management for the private sector.
	In the calculation of the benefits overview, no voluntary organisations have been involved to date. However, we are engaging a range of voluntary organisations with regard to requirements definition of the identity card scheme as a whole.
	Finally, members of the scheme's principal users group (PUG) and private sector user groups (PSUG) were either involved or informed of this work. The membership of these groups is as follows:
	PUG
	Cabinet Office, Department for Constitutional Affairs, Department for Education and Skills, Department for Transport, Department of Health, DVLA, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, Her Majesty's Treasury, IND, Local Government Association, the Northern Ireland Office, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Office for National Statistics, E-Government Unit, ACPO, RDS, Scottish Executive, UKPS, National Assembly of Wales.
	PSUG:
	Airbus, British Airways, BAA, BAE Systems, Bank of England, Barclays, BBC, BNFL, BP, BT, BT Syntegra, Eli Lilly, Experian, GlaxoSmithKline, HBOS, HSBC Holdings, Lloyds TSB, Pfizer, Pilkington, Proctor and Gamble, Rolls-Royce, Royal Bank of Scotland, Royal Mail, Sainsbury's, Shell, Standard Chartered Bank, Tesco, Unilever, Verisign, Visa International, Visa Europe, Vodaphone and YELL
	While exploratory work started in 2003, in-depth work on the calculations involved in the benefits overview commenced in July 2004. The work behind the benefits overview was conducted as part of the overall work of the identity cards programme team, not as a specific research project, and cannot be separately quantified.

Identity Card Scheme

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the types of crimes that would be preventable under the Identity Card Scheme.

Andy Burnham: The Identity Cards Programme has worked extensively with law enforcement agencies and a number of public and private sector organisations to consider how the Identity Cards Scheme will achieve its strategic objective of preventing crime.
	As a whole, the Identity Cards Scheme will put additional deterrents in place for those who might otherwise commit crimes. It will hinder the ability of criminals to operate by introducing a more reliable system of identity checks and by helping to prevent the use of false or multiple identities. It will also increase the likelihood of the criminal being caught by providing additional tools to law enforcement agencies to assist in their investigations.
	The Identity Cards Scheme Benefits Overview", published on 28 June 2005, provides some specific examples of how the Scheme can prevent crime and in particular, identity fraud. Work is continuing with stakeholders in this area to understand how the Identity Cards Scheme can achieve further crime prevention objectives.

Identity Card Scheme

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on preparations for and feasibility studies on identity cards.

Paul Goggins: The Government announced their intention to introduce legislation for an identity cards scheme in November 2003, following a six-month consultation exercise. In preparation £19.00 million has been spent since the start of the 2003 financial year and the end of June 2005. A further £1.61 million has been spent on trials.

Identity Card Scheme

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of the identity cards scheme has been to date.

Paul Goggins: The Government announced their intention to introduce legislation for an identity cards scheme in November 2003, following a six month consultation exercise. In preparation £19 million has been spent since the start of the 2003 financial year and the end of June 2005. A further £1.61 million has been spent on trials.

Identity Card Scheme

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if British seafarers possessing an international biometric identity card will also be required to purchase a UK identity card; what consideration the Government have given to the overlap of these two schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Government are working towards ratification of ILO Convention No. 185 on Seafarers' Identity Documentation and is undertaking a detailed study of the practical and technical issues. The Maritime and Coastguards Agency is in the final stages of agreeing a specification for a feasibility study in respect of a biometric Seafarers' identity card.
	This will include consideration of a range of options, including the possibility of sharing facilities and functions with other biometric initiatives.

Identity Card Scheme

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) civil servants, (b) public sector secondees, (c) private sector secondees and (d) consultants are (i) employed by the identity cards programme team and (ii) otherwise employed on the identity cards project.

Paul Goggins: As at end of May 2005, the identity cards programme team comprised 43 civil servants and contracted staff, 62 consultants and one public sector secondee. Within the Immigration and Nationality Department, there are 4.5 people working on the Identity Cards Project. All figures are full-time equivalent. As of end of financial year 2004–05 there were a number of people at UKPS working on the ID Cards Project although none exclusively. In terms of full-time equivalent there were 4.2 consultants and 3.2 UKPS staff working on the Identity Cards Project.

Identity Card Scheme

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the citizen identification number carried on identity cards will appear on computerised Government databases for (a) health, (b) tax, (c) social security and (d) other records.

Andy Burnham: The unique identifier applied to each entry on the National Identity Register will be the National Identity Register Number, NIRN. Final decisions have not been taken on which databases include the NIRN. However this would be with the consent of the individual under Clause 14 of the Identity Cards Bill or under Clause 15 of the Bill in relation to the provision of a public service. In addition the NIRN can be provided to public authorities in limited circumstances under Clauses 19 to 23 of the Identity Cards Bill.
	Administrators of any databases which include the NIRN will need to ensure that any use of that number is compliant with their obligations under the Data Protection Act 2004.

Illegal Immigrants

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the main countries of origin of people who are in the UK illegally.

Tony McNulty: The methodology that was used in the report published on 30 June 2005—Sizing the unauthorised (illegal) migrant population in the United Kingdom in 2001—cannot be used to make an assessment of the main countries of origin of people in the UK illegally.

Immigration

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost of transferring the UK's immigration system to one based on points; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The launch of the consultation exercise, on 19 July 2005, will help us shape the operational model needed to deliver a points based system, and with that the establishment of the costs of that system.

Immigration

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many qualified adjudication officers have been employed in the Immigration Department in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Table 1 shows the approximate number of full-time equivalent staff members deployed in initial decision-making areas, in case working grades in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, in each year since September 2000. Decision-making grades are administrative officer and executive officer and equivalent grades.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Date Asylum NASS MM IS 
		
		
			 September 2000 405 351 (151)1,099 2,453 
			 September 2001 410 399 (151)1,316 3,082 
			 September 2002 505 818 (152)1,899 3,324 
			 September 2003 400 718 1,208 3,869 
			 September 2004 345 711 1,355 4,006 
			 June 2005 (153)924 639 1,773 4,023 
		
	
	(151)ICD Croydon only.
	(152)ICD.
	(153)Includes appeals, which are not initial decision cases, in this figure for June 2005, only.
	Notes:
	1.NASS is the National Asylum Support Service which makes decisions on entitlement to support which are an ancillary decision to initial asylum decisions.
	2.MM is Managed Migration and the figures are for AO grade only.
	3.The headcount is the actual number of people employed by the organisation, some of whom will be part time, or on career breaks. The hours of those working part time are added together and divided by normal full-time working hours to arrive at the full-time equivalent.
	Historically, immigration staff-in-post data has not been collated by job type, but by grade and directorate. These figures therefore include some staff whose work supports the caseworkers. The numbers of those who work in the Immigration Service as Immigration Officers and Assistant Immigration Officers have also been shown because decisions at points of entry are significant initial decisions. Immigration Service staff are deployed on many various aspects of immigration control and it is not possible to identify particular numbers for particular types of work.
	The total number of staff employed by the Immigration and Nationality Department at the end of each financial year since 1997 is indicated in table 2. These figures include all elements of the work, not just initial decision areas.
	
		Table 2
		
			 As at 31 March Full-time equivalent Headcount 
		
		
			 1997 – 5,697 
			 1998 – 5,160 
			 1999 4,655 5,750 
			 2000 5,976 6,582 
			 2001 9,117 9,757 
			 2002 9,984 10,404 
			 2003 12,752 13,226 
			 2004 14,482 15,164 
			 2005 14,891 15,652

IMPACT

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what decision has been reached in relation to whether the IMPACT system will contain unevaluated information and intelligence in addition to evaluated intelligence; and what the implications are of each option in terms of (a) cost and (b) the time scale of the project.

Hazel Blears: The aim of the IMPACT Programme is to deliver an effective local, regional and national information sharing and intelligence capability. This is likely to include access to both evaluated intelligence and other information, and decisions will be taken as the programme progresses as to the nature and extent of the information available. How this is to be achieved will be outlined in a business case for a long term programme of work in September that will address costs and time scale associated with each project. Full guidance to the police is being prepared on all aspects of information management and sharing.

IMPACT

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent on the IMPACT programme to date; and what the projected total cost of the programme is.

Hazel Blears: The total projected cost of the programme will be determined under the work to finalise the business case. A total of £160 million was allocated to the Programme in the 2004 Spending Review. To date (end June 2005) including monies spent in 2004–05 £7.1 million has been spent and committed.

Internet

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list (a) UK and (b) EU (i) initiatives, (ii) programmes and (iii) laws under discussion concerning improper use of the internet.

Paul Goggins: The Government have always taken the view that all legislation must be robust enough to deal with offences whether they are committed on or off line. To this end there is a variety of legislation which deals with offences which can be commissioned utilising computer systems and networks, but which contain no specific reference to use of the internet.
	Initiatives and programmes under discussion on which the Home Office leads on this issue include: educating computer users about the risks of fraud committed using the internet through advice on the Home Office website on avoiding internet fraud; we have published jointly with APACS (the Association of Payment Clearing Services) a leaflet on card safety which includes a section on using cards safely over the internet; the Home Office has also created and maintains the e-tailing" mini site www.crimereduction.gov.uk/etailing00.htm, which provides information to help both businesses and consumers protect themselves specifically when using the internet; and finally the Home Secretary's Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet seeks to protect children using the internet, and from abuse fuelled by criminal misuse of new technologies, and promote safe use of the internet.
	In respect of legislation under discussion being developed by the Home Office, the Government and the opposition are working together to develop three new offences that could relate to terrorists' use of the internet. These are: (1) Indirect incitement—covering any method of making a message available to the public which is intended to encourage others to engage in terrorist activities, while not directly calling upon them to do so; (2) Training in terrorist methods and techniques, and in making or using hazardous substances for terrorist purposes. This offence could be used if individuals take advantage of the internet to carry out such training; (3) Acts preparatory. This would target individuals and groups involved in preparing, instigating or conspiring to commit an act of terrorism. Where the internet is used in this process, such improper use could be targeted. In all three cases, intent to cause or facilitate terrorist activities would have to be proved.
	In addition, the Fraud Bill is seeking to ensure that use of computers or the internet to commit or facilitate fraud is criminalised in legislation, the Identity Cards Bill includes an offence of tampering with the National Identity Register including the unauthorised modification of its contents by electronic means, and Government will seek to make amendments to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 when parliamentary time allows.
	Within the EU the Safer Internet Programme is designed to complement legislative approaches to combating illegal and harmful material on the internet, by stimulating and supporting self-help and self-regulatory approaches. The original €38.3 million programme between 1999 and 2004: financed projects to create a safer environment via a European network of hot-lines to report illegal content; encouraged self-regulation and codes of conduct; developed filtering and rating systems; and encouraged awareness actions. The new programme, Safer Internet Plus, will run from 2005 to 2008 and has a €45 million budget. The proposed Safer Internet Plus programme aims to both build on its predecessor's achievements and meet new threats.

Kidnappings (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been kidnapped in London in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The available information relates to recorded offences of kidnapping and is given in the tables. The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on one April 2002 and statistics before and after that date are not directly comparable.
	
		Table 1: Recorded offences of kidnapping in the London area(154)—1997 to 2001–02
		
			 Period Kidnapping (number of offences) 
		
		
			 1997 542 
			 1998–99 628 
			 1999–2000 787 
			 2000–01 890 
			 2001–02 1,095 
		
	
	(154)Includes the Metropolitan Police and City of London police.
	Note:
	The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 2: Recorded offences of kidnapping in the London area(155)—2002–03 to 2004–05
		
			  Period Kidnapping (number of offences) 
		
		
			 2002–03 1,145 
			 2003–04 1,013 
			 2004–05 819 
		
	
	(155)Includes the Metropolitan Police and City of London police.
	Note:
	The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Licensing Act

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the proposed criteria are by which an area can be designated an alcohol disorder zone.

Hazel Blears: The proposed criteria for the designation of an alcohol disorder zone are set out at clause 13, subsections (1) and (8) of the Violent Crime Reduction Bill (www.parliament.uk) In summary: the criteria provide for a test on whether there is nuisance or annoyance or disorder in or near the locality that is linked with the consumption of alcohol; and a local authority may only designate a locality an alcohol disorder zone where the action plan (setting out the remedial steps that would make designation unnecessary) will not be implemented.

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress on work in standardising court diversion schemes for the mentally ill as set out in the Government's reply to the eleventh report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights of 2004–05 on Deaths in Custody.

Fiona Mactaggart: Improving the arrangements for Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion services is now a part of dedicated joint project of the Home Office, Department of Health and Department of Constitutional Affairs aimed at improving the way health and social services advise and support the management of those before the courts. A series of regional events involving health, criminal justice and social care agencies is planned later this year.
	These events will provide an opportunity to raise the profile of diversion schemes for mentally disordered offenders, identify good practice, and promote a co-ordinated approach to planning and delivery of services. Each diversion scheme will need to meet the needs of the community that it serves, ensuring that offenders coming before the courts have their mental health or other needs assessed at the earliest opportunity, informing sentencing decisions, and facilitating access to health or social care interventions at the right time.

Ministerial Speeches

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many speeches have been made by his Department's Ministers in each month since 1997; and how many have been published on the www.homeoffice.gov.uk website.

Charles Clarke: Details relating to the number of speeches made by Ministers are not collated centrally and to provide them would incur disproportionate costs.
	37 ministerial speeches are currently available to download from the Home Office website.

Missing Dogs

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many dogs have been reported missing or stolen each year in the United Kingdom since 2000, broken down by borough.

Hazel Blears: It is not possible to identify the number of dogs stolen from the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office for England and Wales. Information is not collected by the Home Office on the number of dogs reported missing.
	Statistics for Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the respective Secretaries of State.

Missing Persons (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been reported as missing in London in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Home Office.

Mopeds

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued on whether mopeds may be parked in pedestrian zones, including pavements.

Paul Goggins: Guidance on pedestrianised zones is issued to local authorities by the Government Offices for the Regions. Enforcement against vehicles improperly parked is an operational matter for the police or the local authority.

Motorbike Nuisance

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions police forces have used powers under the Police Reform Act 2002 to issue warnings to individuals and to seize motorbikes following offences concerning motorbike nuisance.

Paul Goggins: Figures for the number of warnings issued to individuals and the number of motorbikes seized under the provisions of Section 59 of the Police Reform Act are not collected centrally.

Motorbike Nuisance

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers are available to the police to combat the anti-social use of micro-bikes.

Paul Goggins: The police have the power under the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize ay mechanically propelled vehicle which is being driven both in a careless and inconsiderate manner on-road or off-road without lawful authority, and is causing or likely to cause alarm , distress or annoyance to members of the public. If a microbike is ridden on the pavement, the police can deal with this as an offence under the Highways Act 1835. Where the rider is a child the police may choose instead to warn him and advise his parents as necessary.

Motorbike Nuisance

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers the police have to deal with nuisance and disturbance caused by the use of mini-motorbikes.

Paul Goggins: The police have a power under the Police Reform Act to seize any mechanically propelled vehicle which is being driven both in a careless and inconsiderate manner on-road, or off-road without lawful authority, and causing or likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. If a microbike is ridden on the pavement, the police can deal with this as an offence under the Highways Act 1835. Where the rider is a child the police may choose instead to warn him and advise his parents as necessary.

Motoring Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the penalties, including number of penalty points, for each motoring offence.

Paul Goggins: The penalties for all motoring offences are listed in schedule two to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 as amended, a copy of which is available in the Library.

Multiple Passports

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate how many people who have a British passport also are (a) in possession of and (b) entitled to a passport of a different nationality; and what mechanisms are in place to monitor the use of multiple passports.

Andy Burnham: The UK Passport Service does not retain this information. UK nationality law does not prohibit the holding of dual nationality and the UK Passport Service does not record whether British passport holders have another nationality. The use of multiple passports is also not monitored.

National Casualty Helpline

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the price per minute is for the National Casualty Helpline; if he will make it his policy to ensure that future helplines are given a free phone number; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: When the Casualty Bureau was opened on 7 July, it was accessed through an 0870 number. The cost of those calls varied depending upon the caller's telephone service provider.
	On 15 July, I announced an urgent review of the use of 0870 numbers in respect of the Casualty Bureau. That review has now taken place and, with immediate effect, the use of 0870 numbers will be discontinued in respect of Casualty Bureau access to the public. 0800 numbers will be made available as the main contact number between the Police Service Casualty Bureau and the public.
	0800 freephone numbers are free at the point of use to landline customers. Mobile users are likely to be charged based upon their mobile tariff. 0800 numbers may not be accessed from overseas and an alternative 020 geographic number is therefore being provided primarily for the use of overseas callers. This number is also available to UK customers, including those using mobile phones who may find the charges lower than the standard rate for 0800.

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the salary range will be for the new chief executive of the National Offender Management Service;
	(2)  what steps he has taken to recruit a replacement for the chief executive of the National Offender Management Service; and when he expects to make the new appointment;
	(3)  where the position of the chief executive of the National Offender Management Service is to be advertised; when it will be advertised; and at what level.

Charles Clarke: The post of chief executive National Offender Management Service is being advertised internally within the Home Office and NHS. It has been placed within the senior civil service pay band three, salary range £93,139–132,586. Interviews are expected to begin in late September, and an appointment made as soon as possible thereafter.

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been spent on the National Offender Management Service since its inception.

Fiona Mactaggart: The expenditure of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is contained in the following table. The table details expenditure from 1 June 2004, when NOMS came into being, until 30 June 2005, the most recent figures available.
	
		National Offender Management Service from1 June 2004 to 30 June 2005 -- Provisional outturn: £ million
		
			  13 months 
			  Resource Capital 
		
		
			 NOMS HQ 343.9 150.3 
			 Prisons 2,277.6 208.4 
			 NPS 942.7 16.7 
			 Total 3,564.2 375.4

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Home Office officials have been (a) seconded and (b) moved to the National Offender Management Service.

Fiona Mactaggart: The National Offender Management Service Headquarters (NOMS HQ) was set up in June 2004. It was formed initially from existing Home Office units and at present remains part of the core Home Office.

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) seconded and (b) recruited from outside his Department to the National Offender Management Service.

Fiona Mactaggart: The National Offender Management Service Headquarters (NOMS HQ) was set up in June 2004. It was formed initially from existing Home Office units. Since then a number of staff and functions have transferred in from the Prison Service HQ which is an Agency of the Home Office. There is only a minority of staff within NOMS HQ who have been recruited from outside the Department. In April 2005 a number of functions and staff were transferred to NOMS from the Prison Service and the National Probation Service, these included 44 staff seconded from the National Probation Service.

National Offender Management Service

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent to date on establishing regional offender managers as part of the National Offender Management Service.

Fiona Mactaggart: As a result of recruiting the 10 regional offender managers from staff working in the National Offender Management Service there were no additional staff costs to NOMS in 2004–05. The budget for the regional offender managers in 2005–06 will be £5.4 million which will include the costs of additional support staff.

National Police Intelligence System

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment has been made of progress in developing a national police intelligence system; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The development of a national IT system to support police intelligence in England and Wales was recommended by the Bichard inquiry in June 2004. The Government passed Sir Michael Bichard, who chaired the inquiry, a full progress report on 22 December 2004, detailing progress made in implementing all 31 recommendations. This was made public on 11 January 2005. In reply, he stated he was broadly content with the direction and pace of progress, including the development and implementation of the IMPACT programme, which will deliver the national IT programme.

National Police Intelligence System

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the national police intelligence system IMPACT is due to be completed; and whether a timeframe for its roll out has been agreed.

Paul Goggins: The programme will deliver, by the end of the year, a nominal index which police forces will be able to search to discover which other forces hold, on their local systems, information relating to a person under investigation or for vetting purposes.
	The programme is also developing a longer term vision and strategy for a national IT system to support police information sharing, including the future of the police national computer.

National Police Intelligence System

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the business case for the development of the national police intelligence system IMPACT to be published.

Paul Goggins: An outline business case will be prepared in September. For commercial reasons, business cases are not released until all associated contractual activities are completed.

National Police Intelligence System

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has given to police forces in England and Wales on updating their IT systems pending the delivery of a national police intelligence system.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office has issued no guidance to forces on updating their IT systems in the context of the IMPACT Programme, pending the outcome of the programme definition. The police service are closely involved in the programme, which reports to a board chaired by ACPO, though the programme has recently issued guidance on the need to extract nominal data from paper and unstructured force systems to enter onto the Criminal Records Bureau's I-PLX system. Guidance has also been issued on the need to develop a capability to extract data from force IT systems in common data format, in preparation for data sharing initiatives to be delivered in later stages of the programme.

Offenders

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people of each standard juvenile and adult age cohort were convicted of each of the standard offence categories for each year between 1997 and 2005; and how many convicted offenders had previously been given a final warning or reprimand for (a) that same offence and (b) any other offence.

Paul Goggins: Information on the number of offenders convicted in England and Wales between 1997 and 2003 is given in the following tables.
	Statistics for 2004 will be published in the autumn. It is not possible from the data held on the Home Office Court Proceedings Database to identify offenders previously given a reprimand or final warning.
	
		Number of persons convicted at all courts in England and Wales, by age group and offence type1997
		
			  Age 
			 Offence type 10–11 12–14 15–17 18–20 21 and over All ages 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 18 855 5,012 5,787 22,890 34,562 
			 Sexual offences 4 123 342 245 3,809 4,523 
			 Burglary 63 1,532 7,033 7,116 15,959 31,703 
			 Robbery 27 440 1,875 1,260 1,987 5,589 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 151 3,681 15,746 20,114 78,748 118,440 
			 Fraud and forgery 0 82 724 2,171 14,029 17,006 
			 Criminal damage 29 588 1,646 1,833 6,417 10,513 
			 Drug offences 0 83 1,764 6,493 32,326 40,666 
			 Other indictable offences 12 428 3,738 8,367 33,710 46,255 
			 Indictable motoring offences 0 27 335 1,271 7,836 9,469 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 106 2,959 18,971 39,868 352,329 414,233 
			 Summary motoring offences 13 406 10,338 62,212 568,587 641,556 
			 Total 423 11,204 67,524 156,737 1,138,627 1,374,515 
		
	
	
		1998
		
			  Age 
			 Offence type 10–11 12–14 15–17 18–20 21 and over All ages 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 19 947 5,047 6,366 24,671 37,050 
			 Sexual offences 1 119 347 291 3,809 4,567 
			 Burglary 87 1,745 6,696 6,830 15,411 30,769 
			 Robbery 19 412 1,739 1,302 2,070 5,542 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 236 4,540 17,108 21,737 82,122 125,743 
			 Fraud and forgery 0 91 872 2,495 16,295 19,753 
			 Criminal damage 40 602 1,682 1,870 6,749 10,943 
			 Drug offences 4 112 2,633 8,118 37,954 48,821 
			 Other indictable offences 14 427 3,771 8,760 35,175 48,147 
			 Indictable motoring offences 0 29 394 1,165 7,347 8,935 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 164 3,846 21,508 44,859 390,098 460,475 
			 Summary motoring offences 25 408 10,822 63,597 581,969 656,821 
			 Total 609 13,278 72,619 167,390 1,203,670 1,457,566 
		
	
	
		1999
		
			  Age 
			 Offence type 10–11 12–14 15–17 18–20 21 and over All ages 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 26 987 4,969 6,326 23,392 35,700 
			 Sexual offences 8 129 352 275 3,540 4,304 
			 Burglary 113 1,667 6,024 6,565 14,892 29,261 
			 Robbery 23 410 1,611 1,235 2,347 5,626 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 321 4,859 17,470 23,051 85,523 131,224 
			 Fraud and forgery 6 86 988 2,866 16,357 20,303 
			 Criminal damage 86 810 1,795 1,817 6,364 10,872 
			 Drug offences 2 187 2,924 8,445 37,153 48,711 
			 Other indictable offences 15 516 3,814 8,522 33,705 46,572 
			 Indictable motoring offences 2 39 401 1,151 6,490 8,083 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 280 5,005 21,725 43,489 361,009 431,508 
			 Summary motoring offences 26 568 12,036 62,073 551,404 626,107 
			 Total 908 15,263 74,109 165,815 1,142,176 1,398,271 
		
	
	
		2000
		
			  Age 
			 Offence type 10–11 12–14 15–17 18–20 21 and over All ages 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 40 1,088 5,276 6,353 22,513 35,270 
			 Sexual offences 4 121 341 251 3,226 3,943 
			 Burglary 106 1,491 5,217 5,650 13,758 26,222 
			 Robbery 31 469 1,725 1,261 2,405 5,891 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 315 4,677 16,011 22,048 84,921 127,972 
			 Fraud and forgery 3 92 922 2,638 15,567 19,222 
			 Criminal damage 78 790 1,708 1,734 5,940 10,250 
			 Drug offences 6 243 3,488 8,105 32,779 44,621 
			 Other indictable offences 15 561 3,818 8,267 30,604 43,265 
			 Indictable motoring offences 1 52 502 1,156 5,838 7,549 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 336 5,767 21,634 44,441 416,485 488,663 
			 Summary motoring offences 19 610 13,866 60,376 525,820 600,691 
			 Total 954 15,961 74,508 162,280 1,159,856 1,413,559 
		
	
	
		2001
		
			  Age 
			 Offence type 10–11 12–14 15–17 18–20 21 and over All ages 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 47 1,161 5,702 6,331 22,057 35,298 
			 Sexual offences 5 164 342 265 3,267 4,043 
			 Burglary 113 1,440 4,718 4,948 13,583 24,802 
			 Robbery 26 681 2,085 1,446 2,584 6,822 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 278 4,591 15,691 20,298 86,128 126,986 
			 Fraud and forgery 2 78 933 2,584 14,685 18,282 
			 Criminal damage 75 928 1,894 1,733 6,021 10,651 
			 Drug offences 10 351 3,980 8,257 33,023 45,621 
			 Other indictable offences 18 625 3,696 8,079 30,291 42,709 
			 Indictable motoring offences 0 53 618 1,192 5,824 7,687 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 336 6,022 22,142 44,500 367,266 440,266 
			 Summary motoring offences 16 792 15,917 58,796 501,041 576,562 
			 Total 926 16,886 77,718 158,429 1,085,770 1,339,729 
		
	
	
		2002
		
			  Age 
			 Offence type 10–11 12–14 15–17 18–20 21 and over All ages 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 39 1,161 5,671 6,663 24,174 37,708 
			 Sexual offences 6 159 392 286 3,541 4,384 
			 Burglary 117 1,590 4,711 4,730 15,543 26,691 
			 Robbery 36 632 2,139 1,480 3,424 7,711 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 255 4,130 14,051 18,041 90,856 127,333 
			 Fraud and forgery 6 98 842 2,331 14,864 18,141 
			 Criminal damage 83 937 1,890 1,708 6,382 11,000 
			 Drug offences 5 393 4,559 8,672 35,407 49,036 
			 Other indictable offences 22 623 3,797 8,258 34,138 46,838 
			 Indictable motoring offences 0 62 704 1,302 6,171 8,239 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 314 6,032 22,005 45,903 411,232 485,485 
			 Summary motoring offences 19 840 16,226 60,416 512,134 589,635 
			 Total 902 16,657 76,987 159,790 1,157,865 1,412,201 
		
	
	
		2003
		
			  Age 
			 Offence type 10–11 12–14 15–17 18–20 21 and over All ages 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 46 1,194 5,339 6,542 24,915 38,036 
			 Sexual offences 3 106 339 273 3,634 4,355 
			 Burglary 78 1,373 4,300 4,181 15,794 25,726 
			 Robbery 33 679 1,929 1,314 3,348 7,303 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 242 3,759 12,537 15,452 87,108 119,098 
			 Fraud and forgery 1 78 732 2,146 15,062 18,019 
			 Criminal damage 89 896 1,963 1,778 6,507 11,233 
			 Drug offences 4 436 4,705 8,712 37,305 51,162 
			 Other indictable offences 24 546 3,708 8,262 37,483 50,023 
			 Indictable motoring offences 1 56 760 1,335 6,544 8,696 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 333 6,102 22,310 47,643 415,367 491,755 
			 Summary motoring offences 28 855 16,957 64,850 573,125 655,815 
			 Total 882 16,080 75,579 162,488 1,226,192 1,481,221 
		
	
	Note:
	These data are on a principal offence basis.

Passports

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fraudulent passports were detected in each year since 1997.

Charles Clarke: The National Document Fraud Unit (NDFU) is the UK Immigration Service's centre of expertise concerning information about passports and travel document security and in combating travel document abuse. NDFU collates statistics for the numbers of forged and counterfeit passports and travel documents detected.
	In the period since 1997, the following totals of fraudulent travel documents have been detected at United Kingdom ports of entry:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 4,411 
			 1998 6,338 
			 1999 5,516 
			 2000 5,394 
			 2001 6,601 
			 2002 9,665 
			 2003 7,985 
			 2004 8,285 
		
	
	In addition to the 8,285 false travel documents detected at ports of entry in 2004, a further 2,335 fraudulent travel documents were detected by Immigration Service staff at enforcement units and also at the NDFU office in Croydon, which deals with after-entry cases. Further, the figures do not include the numbers of inadequately documented passengers denied boarding by commercial carriers overseas working in conjunction with UK Airline Liaison Officers. Some of these passengers will have held forged documents. Precise figures on the number denied boarding for this reason are not available.

Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2005, Official Report, columns 913–4W, on passports, what estimate he has made of the (a) costs and (b) effects of each of the measures being taken under the UK Passport Services' anti-fraud programme.

Charles Clarke: We are currently working on the benefits case for the various anti fraud measures and their effectiveness. We are planning to be in a position to complete and give the details of this work before the end of this calendar year, in so far as security considerations allow.

Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 913W, on passports, what disadvantages for British passport holders he expects would be incurred if the Government chooses not to mirror the EU Directive on the fingerprinting of passport applicants; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The UK wishes to co-operate as closely as possible with EU partners on asylum and immigration measures despite our position outside Schengen. It would be hard to defend the UK adopting lower biometric standards and a less secure passport design than the rest of our European colleagues, particularly given our resolve with our European partners to strengthen security and border controls following the Madrid bombings. The UKPS Corporate and Business Plan, published in April, noted the likelihood of incorporating fingerprints in UK passports by the end of the decade.
	Once Schengen passports contain fingerprints, British passports without fingerprints would move from being amongst the most secure in the world to being one of the weaker links and therefore a more attractive target for forgery and fraudulent applications. The inclusion of fingerprints would strengthen the link between the passport and the holder, would make the document more difficult to forge and would reduce very significantly the risk of duplicate identities on the passport database. Fingerprints are more accurate in identifying fraudulent multiple applications than facial image.
	Having the two biometrics, facial image and fingerprint, would increase certainty of identification and help address the situation where one biometric fails to validate the identity. It would facilitate the strengthening of UK border controls for passport holders returning to the UK and hence our national security. Incorporating fingerprints in UK passports would also mean that UK passport holders will not be inconvenienced should other countries further tighten their border controls and would allow British passport holders to benefit from potential future entry control systems in the UK and overseas (e.g. as already being rolled out in Hong Kong).
	Once European countries have moved to include fingerprints in passports, if the UK does not follow suit there is every chance our passport holders would be inconvenienced when travelling into Schengen countries especially from outside Europe and be subject to delays and additional questions at border controls.

Passports

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision there is to provide a discount for those from less well-off families to pay the £500 premium for an indefinite leave to remain in the UK stamp to be placed in a new passport.

Tony McNulty: The cost of processing an application for the transfer of an indefinite leave to remain stamp to new passport is £160 for postal applications, and £500 for the premium service at any of the public enquiry offices. The fee for transfer of leave stamps is for the processing of the application and there are no exemptions or provision for any discounts.

Police

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police community support officers have been introduced in (a) Dudley north and (b) the borough of Dudley; and what assessment he has made of the impact on crime and antisocial behaviour.

Hazel Blears: West Midlands constabulary had 219 community support officers (CSOs) on 31 March 2005. Information is not centrally collected about the number of CSOs in basic command units. Arrangements are being made to collect such data.
	We have commissioned a national evaluation of CSOs which will be published later this year. An interim report, National Evaluation of Community Support Officers", published in December 2004 (available at www.policereform.gov.uk), indicated that CSOs are having a positive impact on some types of antisocial behaviour and lower level crime, for example vehicle related crime and personal robbery. The main aim of CSOs is to provide a visible and reassuring presence on the streets.

Police

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers there were in (a) Dudley north and (b) the borough of Dudley in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: Information on strength at basic command unit (BCD) level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March for each year. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002 and is set out in a table, which will be placed in the Library. Information is not collected on the number of police officers at constituency level. Dudley is part of the J1 operational command unit (OCU) which also includes Sedgley and Brierley Hill.
	The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the chief constable (Paul Scott-Lee) and within the J1" OCU deployment of officers is a matter for the divisional commander.

Police

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the number and percentage of police officers in (a) the Metropolitan police and (b) the City of London police was in each year since 1997, broken down by ethnicity.

Hazel Blears: The figures are provided in the following table. Data is available only from 1998 onwards.
	
		Number and percentage of minority ethnic police officers in the Metropolitan police and the City of London police by year
		
			  Metropolitan police City of London police 
			 As at 31 March.: Number of minority ethnic police officers Percentage of total officer strength Number of minority ethnic police officers Percentage of total officer strength 
		
		
			 2005 2,179 7.0 43 4.9 
			 2004 1,976 6.6 34 4.0 
			 2003 1,574 5.6 28 3.5 
			 2002 1,286 4.9 24 3.1 
			 2001 1,049 4.2 18 2.6 
			 2000 1,009 4.0 17 2.3 
			 1999 884 3.4 17 2.2 
			 1998 861 3.3 20 2.4

Police

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers there were in each London borough on 5 May.

Paul Goggins: The following table provides data for the number of police officers as at 31 March 2005. Data specifically for 5 May are not available centrally.
	
		Police officer strength by Metropolitan police basic command units as at 31 March 2005
		
			 Basic command unit Full-time equivalents 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 419.08 
			 Barnet 561.01 
			 Bexley 382.65 
			 Brent 679.4 
			 Bromley 489.19 
			 Camden 850.41 
			 Central Services 11,223.89 
			 City of Westminster 1,617.10 
			 Croydon 692.01 
			 Ealing 686.18 
			 Enfield 574.66 
			 Greenwich 605.23 
			 Hackney 788.52 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 526.08 
			 Haringey 683.21 
			 Harrow 342.24 
			 Havering 383.42 
			 Heathrow 437.48 
			 Hillingdon 497.8 
			 Hounslow 509.65 
			 Islington 683.35 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 561.59 
			 Kingston upon Thames 298.19 
			 Lambeth 984.46 
			 Lewisham 645.94 
			 Merton 351.7 
			 Newham 781.93 
			 Redbridge 458.66 
			 Richmond upon Thames 286.8 
			 Southwark 891.42 
			 Sutton 291.03 
			 Tower Hamlets 761 
			 Waltham Forest 545.84 
			 Wandsworth 582.25 
			 Total 31,073.37

Police

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many acceptable behaviour contracts were entered into in (a) Northumbria police force area and (b) Castle Morpeth and Wansbeck local authority areas in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: The number of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) entered into by the Northumbria police force and Castle Morpeth and Wansbeck local authority areas is not known as this information is not collected centrally. ABCs are voluntary agreements with no statutory basis and can be entered into by various local services such as local authority social services or housing departments, Youth Inclusion and Support Panels or the police. They are therefore unsuitable for central data collection.
	A recent survey carried out by the Home Office and sent to all Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships estimated that 5,383 ABCs were made between October 2003 and September 2004.

Police

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many working days were lost because of attacks on police in Lancashire in 2004–05.

Paul Goggins: The number of working days lost in 2004–05 as a result of assaults on police in Lancashire was 1,330.

Police

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers left the police due to mental health problems in each of the last 10 years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Police

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the usefulness and effectiveness of the practice of publishing the mobile phone numbers of police officers; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The practice of publishing the mobile phone numbers of police officers is a matter for individual forces and the Government have no current plans to assess it.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that local people receive the best possible service from the police and want to encourage robust and innovative communication between the police and the public through a variety of means. We are committed to providing all communities with more visible and accessible neighbourhood policing teams, and publishing mobile phone numbers of local officers may contribute towards the success of these teams.
	Forces are assessed on overall user satisfaction and confidence levels through the police performance assessment framework.

Police

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which (a) parliamentary constituencies, (b) local authorities and (c) local government wards fall within the West Surrey Basic Command Unit.

Paul Goggins: There are two parliamentary constituencies within the West Surrey Basic Command Unit: South West Surrey and Guildford. There are also two local authorities: Guildford borough council and Waverley borough council.
	The 22 local government wards for Guildford borough council are:
	Ash S. and Tongham
	Ash Vale
	Ash Wharf
	Burpham
	Christchurch
	Clandon and Horsley
	Effingham
	Friary and St. Nicolas
	Holy Trinity
	Lovelace
	Merrow
	Normandy
	Onslow
	Pilgrims
	Pirbright
	Send
	Shalford
	Stoke
	Stoughton
	Tillingbourne
	Westborough
	Worplesdon.
	The 29 local government wards for Waverley borough council are:
	Alfold
	Cranleigh Rural and Ellens Green
	Blackheath and Wonersh
	Bramley Busbridge and Hascombe
	Chiddingfold and Dunsfold
	Cranleigh East
	Cranleigh West
	Elstead and Thursley
	Ewhurst, Farnham Bourne
	Farnham Castle
	Farnham Firgrove
	Farnham Hale and Heath End
	Farnham Moor Park
	Farnham Shortheath and Boundstone
	Farnham Upper Hale
	Farnham Weybourne and Badshot Lea
	Farnham Wrecclesham and Rowledge
	Frensham Dockenfield and Tilford
	Godalming Binscombe
	Godalming Central and Ockford
	Godalming Charterhouse
	Godalming Farncombe and Catteshall
	Godalming Holloway
	Haslemere Critchmere and Shottermill
	Haslemere East and Grayswood
	Hindhead
	Milford
	Shamley Green and Cranleigh North
	Witley and Hambledon.

Police

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each constabulary the number of assaults per head of population on (a) police officers and (b) police community support officers in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the table. Figures for assaults on police officers are based on recorded crime data. Community support officers were introduced in September 2002 so only one year's data can be provided. These figures are taken from the police service strength returns.
	
		Table 1: Assaults on constables per 100,000 population
		
			 Police force area 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04(156) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 21 27 36 
			 Bedfordshire 43 61 55 
			 Cambridgeshire 34 40 36 
			 Cheshire 56 63 73 
			 Cleveland 37 58 44 
			 Cumbria 42 37 37 
			 Derbyshire 65 89 41 
			 Devon and Cornwall 41 43 27 
			 Dorset 58 71 47 
			 Durham 206 182 31 
			 Dyfed-Powys 64 70 46 
			 Essex 22 31 36 
			 Gloucestershire 36 49 34 
			 Greater Manchester 76 81 32 
			 Gwent 91 108 57 
			 Hampshire 39 55 56 
			 Hertfordshire 37 43 68 
			 Humberside 61 87 50 
			 Kent 40 54 48 
			 Lancashire 96 109 57 
			 Leicestershire 36 48 46 
			 Lincolnshire 34 43 24 
			 London, City of(157) 612 625 436 
			 Merseyside 97 121 72 
			 Metropolitan Police 17 27 38 
			 Norfolk 55 69 55 
			 North Wales 66 83 37 
			 North Yorkshire 60 77 36 
			 Northamptonshire 49 56 48 
			 Northumbria 83 116 43 
			 Nottinghamshire 53 44 50 
			 South Wales 72 86 58 
			 South Yorkshire 60 54 34 
			 Staffordshire 62 76 50 
			 Suffolk 44 54 48 
			 Surrey 21 27 39 
			 Sussex 74 73 42 
			 Thames Valley 59 73 34 
			 Warwickshire 51 61 45 
			 West Mercia 67 73 45 
			 West Midlands 146 110 14 
			 West Yorkshire 71 81 30 
			 Wiltshire 47 56 44 
		
	
	(156)In April 2003, offences of obstructing a constable and resisting a constable in the execution of his/her duty were removed from the recorded crime series. Figures for 2003–04 may be affected by this.
	(157)Numbers are affected by the size of the resident population relative to the transient or visiting population and therefore over-represent the number of crimes relative to the real population.
	
		Table 2: Assaults on community support officers(158)per100,000 population
		
			 Police force area 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 0.0 
			 Bedfordshire 0.0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.0 
			 Cheshire 0.0 
			 Cleveland 0.2 
			 Cumbria 0.0 
			 Derbyshire 0.0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0.1 
			 Dorset 0.3 
			 Durham 0.0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0.0 
			 Essex 0.0 
			 Gloucestershire 0.4 
			 Greater Manchester 0.0 
			 Gwent 0.0 
			 Hampshire 0.0 
			 Hertfordshire 0.0 
			 Humberside 0.0 
			 Kent 0.0 
			 Lancashire 0.0 
			 Leicestershire 0.3 
			 Lincolnshire 0.0 
			 London, City of 0.0 
			 Merseyside 0.1 
			 Metropolitan Police 0.0 
			 Norfolk 0.0 
			 North Wales 0.0 
			 North Yorkshire 0.0 
			 Northamptonshire 0.0 
			 Northumbria 0.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0.0 
			 South Wales 0.2 
			 South Yorkshire 0.0 
			 Staffordshire 0.0 
			 Suffolk 0.1 
			 Surrey 0.4 
			 Sussex 0.3 
			 Thames Valley 0.0 
			 Warwickshire 0.0 
			 West Mercia 0.0 
			 West Midlands 0.0 
			 West Yorkshire 0.7 
			 Wiltshire 0.2 
		
	
	(158)Community support officers first introduced in September 2002

Police

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding has been (a) spent on and (b) committed to policing schemes within each growth area.

Hazel Blears: Government grants since 2003–04 to the eight police forces covering the four designated housing growth areas of Ashford, London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough (LSCP), Milton Keynes-South Midlands (MKSM) and Thames Gateway are set out in the table.
	Allocation of these resources and appropriate budget management are matters for each Chief Constable and Police Authority, who will make decisions according to local plans and operational priorities.
	
		£ million
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
			  General government grants(159) Specific grants and capital support(160) General government grants(159) Specific grants and capital support(160) General government grants(159) Specific grants and capital support(160) 
		
		
			 Bedfordshire Police 60.14 6.52 62.11 6.64 64.92 7.16 
			 Cambridgeshire Constabulary 71.07 8.31 73.41 9.67 77.88 8.95 
			 Essex Police 155.87 15.85 160.93 14.57 166.97 16.80 
			 Hertfordshire Police 101.52 8.28 104.83 8.69 108.79 9.88 
			 Kent Police 176.84 24.41 182.61 19.00 189.47 19.24 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,764.05 263.22 1,821.98 281.58 1,927.81 288.57 
			 Northamptonshire Police 62.22 9.32 64.27 7.45 67.78 7.56 
			 Thames Valley Police 205.94 23.69 212.65 24.69 220.63 26.26 
		
	
	(159)Comprises Home Office principal police grant and ODPM Revenue Support Grant and redistributed business rates.
	(160)Includes Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Fund, Basic Command Unit funding, Community Support Officer funding (including, for 2004–05 and 2005–06, Round 1 of the Neighbourhood Policing Fund), Airwave, DMA Expansion Programme, Street Crime Initiative, Special Priority Payments, Counter Terrorism funding (MPS only) and capital grants.

Police

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the six areas where, according to page 47 of the Home Office Annual Report 2004–05, performance is below the baseline and (b) the 18 areas defined as worst performing.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office SR2002 Public Service Agreement sets a target to Improve the delivery of justice by increasing the number of crimes for which an offender is brought to justice to 1.15 million by 2005–06; with an improvement in all CJS areas, a greater increase in the worst performing areas and a reduction in the proportion of ineffective trials".
	The worst performing areas were determined in September 2003 by two measures: the percentage of recorded crime that was brought to justice; and the number of offences brought to justice per police officer (excluding officers in their probationary period). The CJ areas which fell below the England and Wales average were defined as worse performing".
	The areas that were defined as worst performing" were: Avon and Somerset, Greater Manchester, Humberside, London, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, Thames Valley, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, Durham, Essex, Lincolnshire, Northampton and Surrey.
	The target will be met if the average performance improvement achieved by the worse performing areas is greater than the national average performance improvement by 2005–06, as compared with the baseline year 2001–02.
	In December 2004 six areas were performing below the baseline year. These were: Durham, Dyfed Powys, Gloucestershire, Gwent, Northumbria and West Midlands.

Police

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was allocated to police services in (a) Dudley North and (b) the borough of Dudley in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The local distribution of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable and police authority to determine in the light of local operational priorities. Information on resources for Dudley is not held centrally.
	We have invested strongly in local policing in the West Midlands. General government grants to West Midlands police authority rose from £399.3 million in 2004–05 to £426.5 million this year, an increase of 6.8 per cent. per cent. This is the highest increase in general grants to any police authority in England and Wales. West Midlands police authority will also continue to benefit from a full range of specific grants for targeted programmes, receiving around £41.6 million in specific grants and capital provision this year.

Police

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations have closed since January 2000.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 138W.

Police

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there have been per 1000 population in each police force in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 21 July 2005
	The information requested is available annually in a Home Office Statistical Bulletin on Police Service Strength. The latest information was published on 29 September 2004 in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 13/04, Police Service Strength England and Wales, 31 March 2004'.
	This and earlier bulletins can be found on website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm

Police

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers (a) have taken early retirement, (b) have retired and (c) have left the force for reasons other than retirement or early retirement for each police force in each of the last three years; and what the average length of service is of a police officer for each category, broken down by police force area.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 21 July 2005
	A full breakdown of reasons for leaving by police officers has only been collected centrally since 31 March 2003. Prior to that date the breakdown was limited to retirements, resignations and other wastage. The following table provides the full breakdown requested for the last two years and a limited breakdown for data as at 31 March 2002.
	Information on length of service on leaving is collected in groups of years. This means average length of service of a police officer on leaving is not available.
	
		Police officer wastage
		
			  Early retirements (medical) Ordinary retirements 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 34 10 77 55 
			 Bedfordshire 7 1 25 26 
			 Cambridgeshire 8 4 36 37 
			 Cheshire 27 15 66 51 
			 Cleveland 18 11 32 33 
			 Cumbria 7 4 30 28 
			 Derbyshire 12 2 66 52 
			 Devon and Cornwall 10 6 90 81 
			 Dorset 3 9 33 36 
			 Durham 12 6 40 34 
			 Dyfed-Powys 11 7 24 18 
			 Essex 22 16 58 71 
			 Gloucestershire 13 5 35 18 
			 Greater Manchester 33 10 165 130 
			 Gwent 22 8 24 41 
			 Hampshire 11 11 121 98 
			 Hertfordshire 7 3 45 43 
			 Humberside 10 2 51 45 
			 Kent 21 9 85 85 
			 Lancashire n/a 13 n/a 66 
			 Leicestershire 9 6 49 32 
			 Lincolnshire 10 3 37 30 
			 London, City of 7 8 15 18 
			 Merseyside 51 25 103 87 
			 Metropolitan Police 156 60 495 519 
			 Norfolk 13 6 52 26 
			 Northamptonshire 3 3 28 24 
			 Northumbria 29 9 77 88 
			 North Wales 16 6 36 0 
			 North Yorkshire 9 8 27 33 
			 Nottinghamshire 34 12 54 67 
			 South Wales 33 14 70 94 
			 South Yorkshire 13 12 93 89 
			 Staffordshire 22 14 57 44 
			 Suffolk 12 8 34 28 
			 Surrey 12 10 45 34 
			 Sussex 9 4 81 84 
			 Thames Valley 29 17 99 91 
			 Warwickshire 8 4 21 22 
			 West Mercia 20 11 55 48 
			 West Midlands 21 13 175 143 
			 West Yorkshire 23 11 154 129 
			 Wiltshire 13 2 31 27 
		
	
	
		
			  Total retirements Leaving other than retirement 
			  2001–02(161) 2002–03 2003–04 2001–02(162) 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 121 111 65 35 95 79 
			 Bedfordshire 26 32 27 24 60 77 
			 Cambridgeshire 43 44 41 36 63 54 
			 Cheshire 78 93 66 12 20 43 
			 Cleveland 57 50 44 20 11 38 
			 Cumbria 30 37 32 11 22 16 
			 Derbyshire 56 78 54 7 32 32 
			 Devon and Cornwall 96 100 87 32 54 41 
			 Dorset 58 36 45 36 32 30 
			 Durham 51 52 40 14 22 38 
			 Dyfed-Powys 21 35 25 23 20 15 
			 Essex 72 80 87 75 135 120 
			 Gloucestershire 49 48 23 14 35 34 
			 Greater Manchester 176 198 140 98 177 191 
			 Gwent 79 46 49 20 15 24 
			 Hampshire 121 132 109 49 93 123 
			 Hertfordshire 65 52 46 48 138 112 
			 Humberside 64 61 47 19 43 50 
			 Kent 139 106 94 81 109 132 
			 Lancashire 107 n/a 79 70 n/a 47 
			 Leicestershire 52 58 38 40 69 48 
			 Lincolnshire 50 47 33 15 26 28 
			 London, City of 32 22 26 21 37 30 
			 Merseyside 163 154 112 28 42 64 
			 Metropolitan Police 717 651 579 545 1,093 998 
			 Norfolk 51 65 32 23 27 19 
			 Northamptonshire 28 31 27 14 25 46 
			 Northumbria 107 106 97 54 58 85 
			 North Wales 51 52 6 11 25 51 
			 North Yorkshire 53 36 41 15 22 33 
			 Nottinghamshire 87 88 79 51 49 45 
			 South Wales 101 103 108 40 50 39 
			 South Yorkshire 133 106 101 38 66 62 
			 Staffordshire 63 79 58 42 52 45 
			 Suffolk 36 46 36 24 39 39 
			 Surrey 62 57 44 43 190 104 
			 Sussex 98 90 88 88 154 202 
			 Thames Valley 104 128 108 65 242 210 
			 Warwickshire 27 29 26 20 29 30 
			 West Mercia 80 75 59 37 41 64 
			 West Midlands 216 196 156 278 331 294 
			 West Yorkshire 223 177 140 101 80 109 
			 Wiltshire 32 44 29 28 38 37 
		
	
	(161)For 2001–02 no breakdown of retirements available.
	(162)Does not include transfers to other England and Wales forces.

Police

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been recruited per police force area in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 21 July 2005
	The available information is given in the following table. Due to changes in the data collection, figures for 2002–03 and 2003–04 are not comparable to previous recruitment figures as data includes transfers from other England and Wales forces and officers returning after a period of secondment.
	
		Police officer recruitment for 2001–02 and police officer joiners from 2002–03
		
			  2001–02 2002–03(163) 2003–04(163) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 274 264 389 
			 Bedfordshire 131 136 186 
			 Cambridgeshire 134 139 137 
			 Cheshire 158 198 167 
			 Cleveland 105 143 172 
			 Cumbria 84 108 136 
			 Derbyshire 112 283 161 
			 Devon and Cornwall 181 335 243 
			 Dorset 99 111 105 
			 Durham 86 131 120 
			 Dyfed-Powys 87 87 72 
			 Essex 233 296 335 
			 Gloucestershire 78 139 123 
			 Greater Manchester 583 546 1,059 
			 Gwent 107 89 100 
			 Hampshire 211 444 317 
			 Hertfordshire 183 320 297 
			 Humberside 237 152 206 
			 Kent 286 370 326 
			 Lancashire 203 224 332 
			 Leicestershire 150 181 236 
			 Lincolnshire 61 103 67 
			 London, City of 71 116 98 
			 Merseyside 201 174 221 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,554 3,489 3,362 
			 Norfolk 99 128 82 
			 Northamptonshire 96 68 118 
			 Northumbria 223 266 226 
			 North Wales 90 133 115 
			 North Yorkshire 99 97 128 
			 Nottinghamshire 226 218 155 
			 South Wales 185 269 187 
			 South Yorkshire 181 172 293 
			 Staffordshire 125 245 170 
			 Suffolk 137 133 133 
			 Surrey 225 187 160 
			 Sussex 226 357 355 
			 Thames Valley 321 458 520 
			 Warwickshire 72 91 66 
			 West Mercia 147 405 180 
			 West Midlands 676 792 643 
			 West Yorkshire 371 434 511 
			 Wiltshire 107 96 127 
			 Total 10,215 13,126 13,137 
		
	
	(163)Not comparable to previous recruitment figures as data includes transfers from other England and Wales forces and officers returning after a period of secondment.

Police

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding each police force (a) should have received under the Government's formula and (b) received in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 21 July 2005
	The information is set out in the table.
	Government funding for police authorities is chiefly allocated using a funding formula that distributes resources on the basis of relative need and resources. A damping mechanism subsequently applied to protect all authorities against financial instability ensures all authorities receive an increase in grant at least equal to the floor" level on a like-for-like basis year-on-year. Grant floors will remain an integral part of the finance system.
	Between 2003–04 and 2005–06, every police authority received the amount of grant to which it was entitled under annual Police Grant Reports and Local Government Finance Reports.
	The funding formula is currently being reviewed to ensure it continues to provide a robust and fair distribution of grant. A 12 week consultation period on options for formula change began on 19 July and will last until 10 October. This is an opportunity for all interested parties to comment on a range of proposals.
	
		2003–04 -- £ million
		
			  Formula grant before floor damping(164) Formula grant after floor damping(164) Difference 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset Police 157.1 157.1 0.0 
			 Bedfordshire Police 60.2 60.1 -0.1 
			 Cambridgeshire Police 73.2 71.1 -2.1 
			 Cheshire Police 105.6 103.9 -1.7 
			 Cleveland Police 84.5 84.1 -0.4 
			 Cumbria Police 57.8 57.7 0.0 
			 Derbyshire Police 97.3 97.9 0.7 
			 Devon and Cornwall Police 160.4 161.5 1.1 
			 Dorset Police 58.6 61.6 2.9 
			 Durham Police 81.7 81.5 -0.2 
			 Dyfed-Powys(165) 48.9 49.3 0.4 
			 Essex Police 143.3 155.9 12.6 
			 GLA—Police 1,788.5 1,764.0 -24.5 
			 Gloucestershire Police 56.5 57.0 0.5 
			 Greater Manchester Police 388.5 380.8 -7.7 
			 Gwent(165) 69.6 69.6 0.0 
			 Hampshire Police 179.7 184.5 4.8 
			 Hertfordshire Police 97.0 101.5 4.5 
			 Humberside Police 111.1 110.9 -0.2 
			 Kent Police 168.7 176.8 8.2 
			 Lancashire Police 179.1 177.1 -2.0 
			 Leicestershire Police 98.9 98.8 -0.1 
			 Lincolnshire Police 58.2 58.7 0.5 
			 Merseyside Police 243.1 240.5 -2.5 
			 Norfolk Police 79.6 79.6 -0.1 
			 North Wales(165) 73.4 73.4 0.0 
			 North Yorkshire Police 68.2 70.4 2.2 
			 Northamptonshire Police 64.2 62.2 -2.0 
			 Northumbria Police 221.1 214.3 -6.7 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 123.7 123.6 -0.2 
			 South Wales(165) 158.3 163.0 4.7 
			 South Yorkshire Police 172.7 172.3 -0.4 
			 Staffordshire Police 104.3 105.8 1.5 
			 Suffolk Police 63.1 63.9 0.8 
			 Surrey Police 71.1 85.4 14.3 
			 Sussex Police 144.8 153.1 8.3 
			 Thames Valley Police 204.0 205.9 2.0 
			 Warwickshire Police 47.8 48.2 0.4 
			 West Mercia Police 103.0 104.4 1.4 
			 West Midlands Police 413.6 386.5 -27.1 
			 West Yorkshire Police 298.6 289.4 -9.2 
			 Wiltshire Police 58.7 58.7 0.0 
		
	
	
		2004–05 -- £ million
		
			  Formula grant before floor damping Formula grant after floor damping Difference 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset Police 160.4 162.2 1.8 
			 Bedfordshire Police 62.1 62.1 0.0 
			 Cambridgeshire Police 74.9 73.4 -1.5 
			 Cheshire Police 107.1 107.2 0.1 
			 Cleveland Police 84.7 86.8 2.1 
			 Cumbria Police 57.6 59.6 2.0 
			 Derbyshire Police 100.9 101.2 0.3 
			 Devon and Cornwall Police 164.1 166.7 2.6 
			 Dorset Police 59.2 63.6 4.4 
			 Durham Police 83.2 84.2 1.0 
			 Dyfed-Powys(165) 49.5 50.9 1.4 
			 Essex Police 145.8 160.9 15.1 
			 GLA—Police 1,878.4 1,822.0 -56.4 
			 Gloucestershire Police 56.9 58.9 2.0 
			 Greater Manchester Police 399.9 393.2 -6.7 
			 Gwent(165) 69.7 71.8 2.1 
			 Hampshire Police 186.2 190.5 4.3 
			 Hertfordshire Police 99.1 104.8 5.7 
			 Humberside Police 113.5 114.6 1.1 
			 Kent Police 167.9 182.6 14.7 
			 Lancashire Police 184.5 182.9 -1.6 
			 Leicestershire Police 102.0 102.0 0.0 
			 Lincolnshire Police 60.1 60.6 0.5 
			 Merseyside Police 246.4 248.4 2.0 
			 Norfolk Police 81.6 82.2 0.6 
			 North Wales(165) 75.8 75.8 0.0 
			 North Yorkshire Police 69.7 72.7 3.0 
			 Northamptonshire Police 66.5 64.3 -2.2 
			 Northumbria Police 225.1 221.4 -3.7 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 127.7 127.6 -0.1 
			 South Wales(165) 159.5 168.2 8.7 
			 South Yorkshire Police 176.1 178.0 1.9 
			 Staffordshire Police 105.1 109.2 4.1 
			 Suffolk Police 63.2 66.0 2.8 
			 Surrey Police 72.5 88.2 15.7 
			 Sussex Police 147.4 158.1 10.7 
			 Thames Valley Police 208.0 212.6 4.6 
			 Warwickshire Police 49.5 49.8 0.3 
			 West Mercia Police 106.4 107.7 1.3 
			 West Midlands Police 426.3 399.3 -27.0 
			 West Yorkshire Police 305.7 298.9 -6.8 
			 Wiltshire Police 59.1 60.6 1.5 
		
	
	
		2005–06 -- £ million
		
			  Formula grant before floor damping Formula grant after floor damping Difference 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset Police 172.2 170.0 -2.2 
			 Bedfordshire Police 65.7 65.1 -0.6 
			 Cambridgeshire Police 80.1 77.9 -2.2 
			 Cheshire Police 110.8 111.3 0.4 
			 Cleveland Police 91.9 90.9 -1.0 
			 Cumbria Police 61.0 62.1 1.1 
			 Derbyshire Police 103.7 105.0 1.3 
			 Devon and Cornwall Police 171.2 173.0 1.8 
			 Dorset Police 61.8 66.0 4.2 
			 Durham Police 86.9 87.8 0.9 
			 Dyfed-Powys(165) 51.0 52.2 1.2 
			 Essex Police 153.3 167.0 13.6 
			 GLA—Police 1,976.3 1,927.8 -48.5 
			 Gloucestershire Police 59.8 61.1 1.3 
			 Greater Manchester Police 418.3 412.5 -5.8 
			 Gwent(165) 72.9 74.1 1.2 
			 Hampshire Police 192.7 197.7 4.9 
			 Hertfordshire Police 104.1 108.8 4.7 
			 Humberside Police 118.2 118.9 0.7 
			 Kent Police 177.9 189.5 11.5 
			 Lancashire Police 192.1 190.8 -1.3 
			 Leicestershire Police 109.8 107.7 -2.1 
			 Lincolnshire Police 64.0 63.4 -0.6 
			 Merseyside Police 255.6 257.7 2.1 
			 Norfolk Police 86.0 85.9 -0.2 
			 North Wales(165) 76.3 78.3 2.0 
			 North Yorkshire Police 72.6 75.4 2.9 
			 Northamptonshire Police 69.2 67.8 -1.4 
			 Northumbria Police 235.4 232.2 -3.2 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 133.9 133.3 -0.5 
			 South Wales(165) 165.1 174.5 9.4 
			 South Yorkshire Police 184.1 185.7 1.6 
			 Staffordshire Police 111.0 113.3 2.3 
			 Suffolk Police 67.6 68.5 0.8 
			 Surrey Police 77.2 91.5 14.3 
			 Sussex Police 152.1 164.0 11.9 
			 Thames Valley Police 216.5 220.6 4.1 
			 Warwickshire Police 52.0 51.8 -0.2 
			 West Mercia Police 109.3 111.8 2.5 
			 West Midlands Police 442.3 426.5 -15.8 
			 West Yorkshire Police 318.3 313.6 -4.6 
			 Wiltshire Police 61.7 62.9 1.2 
		
	
	(164)Original allocations.
	(165)Because the Welsh Assembly does not operate a grant damping mechanism, the Home Secretary has for several years provided additional funding to ensure Welsh police authorities receive at least a minimum increase in grant in line with English authorities. These additional grants, amounted to £5.1 million in 2003–04, £12.2 million in 2004–05 and £13.9 million in 2005–06.
	Note:
	The City of London police are part of the City Corporation. Grant cannot be directly compared with that for other police authorities.

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much Government funding has been spent on policing in Essex in each of the last 10 years.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the table.
	
		
			  General Government grants(166) (£) Percentage change Specific grants and capital provision(167) (£) 
		
		
			 1996–97 127.2 3.6 6.7 
			 1997–98 129.7 1.9 3.7 
			 1998–99 131.5 1.4 2.1 
			 1999–2000 134.8 2.5 3.1 
			 2000–01(168) 143.8 6.7 4.3 
			 2001–02(169) 151.9 5.6 6.7 
			 2001–02(169) 147.9 — 6.7 
			 2002–03 151.3 2.3 14.8 
			 2003–04 155.9 3.0 15.9 
			 2004–05 160.9 3.3 14.5 
			 2005–06 167.0 3.8 16.8 
		
	
	(166)General Government grants comprise Home Office police grant, ODPM revenue support grant and national non-domestic rates.
	(167)Includes specific grants: Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Fund, Basic Command Unit funding, Community Support Officer funding (including, for 2004–05 and 2005–06, Round one of the Neighbourhood Policing Fund), Airwave, DNA Expansion Programme, special priority payments and capital grants. The Home Office also funds 75 per cent. of the cost of the South East Allowance for all qualifying officers. These figures are not included within the totals.
	(168)As of April 2000, the Metropolitan police force was reduced in size by a transfer of responsibility for policing some areas to the surrounding forces, including Essex.
	(169)Figures for 2001–02 are not directly comparable with 2002–03 due to the change in funding arrangements of NCS/NCIS. Adjusted figures for 2001–02 are therefore included.

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in Essex in (a) 1979, (b) 1983, (c) 1987, (d) 1992 and (e) each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		Police officer strength Essex(170)police force 
		
			 Strength as at 31 March Number (full-time equivalent) 
		
		
			 1979 2,461 
			 1983 2,641 
			 1987 2,718 
			 1992 2,898 
			 1996 2,884 
			 1997 2,961 
			 1998 2,928 
			 1999 2,891 
			 2000 2,806 
			 2001 2,897 
			 2002 2,946 
			 2003(171) 2,989 
			 2004(171) 3,098 
			 2005(171) 3,190 
		
	
	(170)Due to police force area reorganisation, the officer strength series is not consistent with earlier data after 1 April 2000.
	(171)Excludes staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with figures prior to March 2003).

Police

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents involving police service vehicles there were in Greater London in each year since 1995, broken down by London borough; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 4 July 2005
	Figures for road traffic collisions are currently available from 2002–03.
	The available information for the numbers of casualties and degree of injury from road traffic collisions resulting from immediate/emergency response and police pursuits on public roads involving the Metropolitan police and City of London police is provided in the table. Figures are not held centrally at individual borough level.
	
		Degree of injury from road traffic collisions involving police forces in the Greater London area
		
			  City of London police Metropolitan police 
		
		
			 2002–03   
			 Fatal injury 0 5 
			 Serious injury 0 14 
			 Other injury 0 (172)— 
			 Total 0 (172)— 
			
			 2003–04   
			 Fatal injury 0 4 
			 Serious injury 1 21 
			 Other injury 1 600 
			 Total 2 625 
		
	
	(172)Data are not available.

Police

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the inspections of Cumbria police for the 12 month period ending 31 March.

Hazel Blears: The inspections carried out in the year to March 2005 are shown in the table, which has been placed in the Library, along with the resources deployed to them, their purpose, findings and comment on recommendations. In summary, 17 external inspections are documented in this report, with an estimated total of 102.5 police staff days, 115.5 police officer days at a total opportunity cost of £38,203.

Police

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources Cumbria police deployed to assist those conducting inspections of the force in the 12-month period ending 31 March; and how many officer hours were involved.

Hazel Blears: The inspections carried out in the year to March 2005 are shown, in the table, which has been placed in the Library, along with the resources deployed to them, their purpose, findings and comment on recommendations. In summary, 17 external inspections are documented in this report, with an estimated total of 102.5 police staff days, 115.5 police officer days at a total opportunity cost of £38,203.

Police

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the purpose was of each of the inspections of Cumbria Constabulary carried out to the year ending 31 March; and what key findings and recommendations he intends to implement.

Hazel Blears: The inspections carried out in the year to March 2005 are shown in the table, which has been placed in the Library, along with the resources deployed to them, their purpose, findings and comment on recommendations. In summary, 17 external inspections are documented in this report, with an estimated total of 102.5 police staff days, 115.5 police officer days at a total opportunity cost of £38,203.

Police

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to increase provision of policing in rural areas.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office's £30 million a year Rural Policing Fund has been specifically introduced to increase the visibility and accessibility of the police in rural areas. 31 police authorities with the most widespread populations benefit from this additional funding. Police authorities who are in receipt of money from this fund may spend it as they see fit. This may involve recruiting additional officers for rural areas or spending the money on other innovative ways to tackle crime and the fear of crime. Examples of existing good practice include the use of mobile police stations or the deployment of community beat officers to patrol clusters of villages or neighbourhoods. Forces are also using dedicated parish or neighbourhood special constables.
	A number of police forces have introduced community support officers (CSOs) in rural areas since their introduction in 2002. CSOs help to tackle crime and disorder and provide public reassurance in the communities where they work. The Home Office is also involved in a Blue Light" pilot for community support officers which aims to create a community focused, multi-functional role for these officers in some rural villages.

Prisons

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms exist for prisoners to appeal against the decisions of independent adjudicators on prison discipline in relation to (a) findings of guilt and (b) punishments awarded; what plans he has to amend the existing appeal procedures; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: A prisoner can apply within 14 days of the adjudication to the Senior District Judge for review of the punishment.
	These arrangements meet our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and provide an important new safeguard. The District Judges who hear the adjudications are transparently independent and the review by the Senior District Judge ensures even-handedness.

Prisons

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed prison officers were injured while on duty at prisons in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: The number of prison officers sustaining an injury while on duty is not routinely collected. Injuries to officer grades caused by accidents or assaults resulting in absence from work and attracting sick leave excusal are recorded. Sick excusal is granted after seven working days for accidents on duty and immediately for assaults. This form of sickness absence for the public sector Prison Service of England and Wales is shown in table 1.
	The number of individual cases of sick excusal due to accidents or assaults is not available for 2000–01. Information on the total number of accidents and near-misses are also recorded centrally for the public sector Prison Service of England and Wales since 2003–04. This data cannot be disaggregated by grade. The data in table 2 represent all recorded accidents and near-misses for all staff (including those due to assaults), and not just those where injury occurred.
	Information about staff in the Scottish and Northern Ireland prison services is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively. Information on privately managed prisons is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		Table 1
		
			  Cases Average working days lost per case Average working days lost per officer Percentage of sickness absence due to injuries at work 
		
		
			 2004–05 1,404 26.7 1.5 10.9 
			 2003–04 1,523 25.8 1.6 10.8 
			 2002–03 1,431 28.7 1.8 10.3 
			 2001–02 1,264 29.7 1.6 10.2 
			 2000–01   1.5 10.1 
		
	
	
		Table 2
		
			  Recorded accidents and near misses (all staff) 
		
		
			 2003–04 8,060 
			 2004–05 9,381 
			 April to July 2005 2,285

Prisons

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed prison officers are employed in prisons in England and Wales; and what their average age is.

Fiona Mactaggart: At 30 June 2005, there were 24,180 officer grade staff (prison officers, senior officers and principal officers) employed within public sector Prison Service establishments. Their average age was 41 years nine months. Information on the number and ages of staff within prisons managed by the private sector is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the (a) prison and (b) young offenders institutions which (i) offer and (ii) do not offer parenting programmes.

Fiona Mactaggart: Many prisons and young offender institutions offer parenting courses and other family learning programmes.
	However, data is not collected centrally about the different types of parenting programmes that are offered across the entire prison estate. Such provision is decided at operational level by the heads of learning and skills in establishments on a needs analysis basis.

Prisons

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage staff turnover was in each (a) private and (b) public prison in England and Wales in (i) 2002–03, (ii) 2003–04 and (iii)2004–05.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on staff turnover in the public sector prison service is shown in the following table. Information on staffing turnover in the contracted estate is not collected centrally.
	
		Total turnover, including casual staff by public sector prison service establishment -- Percentage
		
			 Location 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Acklington 8.2 10.3 7.7 
			 Albany 8.1 10.9 9.8 
			 Ashwell 13.0 13.5 17.4 
			 Askham Grange 16.1 15.9 11.4 
			 Aylesbury 9.8 9.2 9.9 
			 Bedford 17.5 7.4 12.1 
			 Belmarsh 8.6 7.1 5.6 
			 Birmingham 8.8 9.3 8.6 
			 Blakenhurst 9.7 13.8 11.5 
			 Blantyre House 13.9 6.7 9.2 
			 Blundeston 11.7 6.8 10.6 
			 Brinsford 7.6 7.8 8.9 
			 Bristol 7.9 10.6 8.5 
			 Brixton 19.8 13.9 14.9 
			 Brockhill 13.6 6.2 13.2 
			 Buckley Hall 6.8 9.0 9.5 
			 Bullingdon 12.0 10.3 7.7 
			 Bullwood Hall 15.1 11.5 16.2 
			 Camp Hill 9.0 17.6 8.5 
			 Canterbury 9.7 12.1 6.5 
			 Cardiff 7.0 7.5 7.2 
			 Castington 10.2 6.3 9.6 
			 Channings Wood 10.4 12.3 7.5 
			 Chelmsford 10.7 13.2 16.2 
			 Coldingley 9.3 6.6 10.5 
			 Cookham Wood 11.6 9.7 16.3 
			 Dartmoor 8.3 13.0 10.0 
			 Deerbolt 11.0 9.9 12.8 
			 Dorchester 9.1 12.2 13.8 
			 Dover 13.3 8.8 7.9 
			 Downview 12.3 11.4 12.2 
			 Drake Hall 19.2 15.7 11.7 
			 Durham 5.8 5.0 7.0 
			 East Sutton Park 20.7 11.6 20.2 
			 Eastwood Park 16.7 16.0 16.6 
			 Edmunds Hill 7.1 14.4 9.5 
			 Elmley 7.0 7.9 9.3 
			 Erlestoke 11.3 15.5 13.9 
			 Everthorpe 8.3 10.4 10.4 
			 Exeter 13.5 11.7 11.2 
			 Featherstone 5.5 6.8 10.8 
			 Feltham 11.5 10.0 11.4 
			 Ford 8.8 13.3 14.5 
			 Foston Hall 7.3 10.4 13.2 
			 Frankland 4.8 4.5 4.8 
			 Full Sutton 6.0 6.9 5.9 
			 Garth 5.1 5.5 7.5 
			 Gartree 9.9 6.6 11.4 
			 Glen Parva 8.8 10.6 9.9 
			 Gloucester 14.4 13.1 15.6 
			 Grendon 8.2 10.4 11.1 
			 Guys Marsh 11.4 13.0 10.6 
			 Haslar 17.1 11.8 17.8 
			 Hatfield 15.6 — — 
			 Haverigg 6.0 10.6 11.9 
			 Hewell Grange 9.7 6.4 9.9 
			 High Down 11.2 10.4 7.0 
			 Highpoint 16.1 11.5 8.5 
			 Hindley 11.5 14.0 10.6 
			 Hollesley Bay 8.0 8.9 10.5 
			 Holloway 10.3 9.4 11.4 
			 Holme House 8.5 7.9 10.7 
			 Hull 5.9 8.3 6.9 
			 Huntercombe 17.1 16.7 12.9 
			 Kingston 10.1 8.5 14.7 
			 Kirkham 8.7 8.1 9.7 
			 Kirklevington Grange 8.2 9.5 8.5 
			 Lancaster 12.5 11.3 14.6 
			 Lancaster Farms 9.2 6.3 9.0 
			 Latchmere House 14.0 10.3 18.5 
			 Leeds 7.3 6.7 7.7 
			 Leicester 11.6 14.1 10.4 
			 Lewes 20.0 8.4 8.7 
			 Leyhill 13.8 13.3 11.5 
			 Lincoln 10.7 8.0 12.5 
			 Lindholme 10.8 11.0 12.1 
			 Littlehey 12.4 10.6 12.7 
			 Liverpool 6.4 7.6 8.5 
			 Long Lartin 7.1 7.2 7.2 
			 Low Newton 6.1 10.9 10.8 
			 Maidstone 8.1 16.2 9.7 
			 Manchester 5.3 6.1 4.0 
			 Moorland 4.1 5.3 7.1 
			 Motion Hall 15.8 16.0 13.3 
			 New Hall 9.1 12.5 9.6 
			 North Sea Camp 12.7 9.0 10.4 
			 Northallerton 7.6 14.6 20.8 
			 Norwich 10.1 9.6 10.7 
			 Nottingham 9.0 6.4 8.5 
			 Onley 11.8 9.2 12.6 
			 Parkhurst 10.6 9.8 11.4 
			 Pentonville 9.5 10.8 10.2 
			 Portland 11.4 12.8 10.9 
			 Preston 6.9 14.7 11.2 
			 Ranby 8.6 10.6 9.0 
			 Reading 15.5 9.6 10.5 
			 Risley 13.0 9.9 9.2 
			 Rochester 15.3 15.8 8.3 
			 Send 10.0 15.3 9.7 
			 Shepton Mallet 13.8 13.7 14.7 
			 Shrewsbury 10.9 7.2 8.9 
			 Stafford 11.6 12.7 10.2 
			 Standford Hill 10.3 12.1 8.0 
			 Stocken 10.6 8.6 9.4 
			 Stoke Heath 8.9 11.9 13.9 
			 Styal 13.5 13.9 8.3 
			 Sudbury 8.4 8.9 9.1 
			 Swaleside 8.6 6.8 5.5 
			 Swansea 9.1 12.0 8.5 
			 Swinfen Hall 10.2 7.5 10.8 
			 The Mount 12.5 12.1 14:5 
			 The Verne 8.8 12.6 4.8 
			 Thorn Cross 11.6 7.0 9.3 
			 Usk/Prescoed 11.1 11.5 6.2 
			 Wakefield 6.4 6.7 5.3 
			 Wandsworth 10.6 11.5 8.9 
			 Warren Hill 2.2 13.5 9.7 
			 Wayland 8.2 7.7 4.8 
			 Wealstun 9.7 8.6 12.3 
			 Weare 8.6 4.2 11.7 
			 Wellingborough 12.2 13.5 10.0 
			 Werrington 15.9 12.3 8.8 
			 Wetherby 9.7 8.2 11.4 
			 Whatton 8.8 12.9 10.8 
			 Whitemoor 6.8 5.7 6.5 
			 Winchester 10.7 10.3 9.3 
			 Woodhill 5.7 6.2 5.7 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 9.8 14.7 13.3 
			 Wymott 5.6 5.5 9.5 
			 Total Establishments 9.6 9.7 9.7 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Healthcare staff transferring to primary care trusts as part of transfer of healthcare commissioning have been excluded.
	2.Casual staff are included.

Prisons

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were in (a) prison and (b) young offenders institute in the last period for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: On 30 June 2005 there were 65,390 adults held in prison accommodation under prison rules in England and Wales.
	On the same date there were 8,490 young adults aged 18–20 (including some 21- year-olds who have not yet been reclassified as adults) held in prison establishments in England and Wales. Of these, 6,461 were sentenced to detention in a young offenders institution under YOI rules. There were a further 1,925 young adults aged 18–20 held on remand under prison rules, and 104 young adults held as civil prisoners.
	On 30 June 2005 there were 2,310 juveniles aged 15–17 held in juvenile establishments in England and Wales. Of these, 1,830 were sentenced juveniles held in YOls under YOI rules. There were a further 475 remand juveniles held under prison rules, and five juveniles aged 15–17 held as civil prisoners.
	The above information is as recorded on the Prison Service IT system, and excludes those held outside of the prison estate in secure training centres and local authority secure children's homes.

Prisons

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides there have been in prisons in England and Wales in each month since January 2000, broken down by prison.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested with respect to apparently self-inflicted deaths in prisons in England and Wales, January 2000 to June 2005, is available in the Library.
	The number of apparently self-inflicted deaths in prisons is a cause of very serious concern to Ministers, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the prisons community. Reducing the number of such tragic incidents is a key priority, and an unprecedented amount of work is being done in this area. A broad, integrated and evidence-based prisoner suicide prevention strategy is in place. This balances specific measures for those judged most at risk with broader approaches for prisoners generally.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the ratio of staff to prisoners is in (a) prisons operated by the private sector and (b) other prison establishments.

Fiona Mactaggart: Within public sector prison service establishments there was a ratio of one member of staff to 1.50 prisoners on 30 June 2005.
	Within the contracted estate there was a ratio of one member of staff to 1.78 prisoners on 30 June 2005.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the prison population is held in private prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: On 30 June 2005, 9.66 percent. of the total prison population was held in the contracted prison sector.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the extent of racism in the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Commission for Racial Equality's (CRE's) formal investigation into race relations in the Prison Service was published in December 2003. The investigation was conducted in three prisons (Brixton, Feltham and Parc), identified by the Prison Service and Her Majesty's Chief Inspectorate of Prisons. Its findings were accepted in full by the Prison Service.
	As a result of the Investigation, the Prison Service is working closely with the CRE to ensure that race equality is managed more effectively across all of the Service's functions, activities and core business requirements. A joint action plan was produced: Implementing Race Equality in Prisons: A Shared Agenda for Change" which represented a milestone for race relations in the service. The plan forms the basis of a long-term strategy for the Prison Service and will ensure that all establishments fully comply with the legal requirements of the Race Rations (Amendment) Act 2000 and embed the lessons learned from the CRE investigation.
	The Prison Service is developing robust measures to identify matters of concern and how to address them, focusing in particular on:
	monitoring information through quarterly questionnaires and impact assessments;
	development of key performance targets on race equality for staff and prisoners;
	training on impact assessments and diversity issues across the estate; and
	prisoner intervention strategies.
	Over the last 12 months, the Race and Equalities Action Group has revised the Prison Service Race Equality Scheme, which sets out how the service will meet its general statutory duty under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, promote equality of opportunity, and promote good relations between people of different racial groups during 2005–08.
	Over the next three years, establishments and policy leads will be undertaking impact assessments of all functions, policies and activities within the Prison Service. These assessments will provide evidenced analysis of whether there is the potential for adverse impact or whether there has been actual adverse impact on any racial group. Where there is such evidence, establishments and policy leads will consider what changes need to be made, and make the changes.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Sheppey improvement process was assessed; and by whom.

Fiona Mactaggart: The market test of the Sheppey prisons was suspended and replaced by a performance improvement test following a meeting between my right hon. friend the Home Secretary and the Prison Officers Association on 18 May. The process of the performance improvement test follows procedures similar to those previously used by the Prison Service. A specification for the performance improvement test was issued by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) on 30 June. The Prison Service has until 30 September to put forward their proposals in response to the specification. The proposals will be evaluated by NOMS and the outcome should be announced by the end of October.

Prisons

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time was between each death in prison custody, initially assessed as self-inflicted, and the opening of the inquest into that death in each of the last five years; and in how many cases there was a delay of more than one year.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the instances when (a) prison governors and (b) prison officers were investigated for taking drugs into London prisons in each month since January; how long each investigation took; what conclusions each reached; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: At Brixton prison an investigation took place in June and July 2005 into the conduct of one member of staff. The disciplinary process is underway. At Wandsworth, one member of staff was investigated in July 2005. This resulted in advice and guidance being issued about the handling of drugs taken from a prisoner's possession. At Wormwood Scrubs, one officer was dismissed in January 2005 and another in March 2005, both as a result of investigations begun in 2004.
	There have been no such incidents at Belmarsh, Feltham, Holloway, Pentonville and Latchmere House.

Prisons

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has carried out into the operational viability of prisons with a capacity of around 2,000 places.

Fiona Mactaggart: As the options for the prison estate are considered, strategic need and operational viability are key criteria. Large multi-functional prisons are among the options, and would enable prisoners to progress through their sentences while remaining close to their families and community support, and provide better regimes to help rehabilitate prisoners and reduce re-offending. They would also be designed for purpose and efficiency.
	No decision to proceed with any such prison has yet been made. If the decision is to be made, all factors, including the detailed operation of such a prison, will be considered.
	Broadly, we are satisfied that a large prison appropriately designed with separate sections and zoning is operationally viable.

Prisons

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prime function he has specified for private prisons in England and Wales.

Fiona Mactaggart: The prime functions for contracted prisons in England and Wales are:
	to protect the public by holding in custody those committed by the courts in a safe, decent and healthy environment.
	to reduce crime by providing constructive regimes which address offending behaviours and improve education and resettlement opportunities when released.

Prisoners

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate he has made of the number of individuals recalled to custody who have received a dossier detailing their recall within (a) one week, (b) two weeks and (c) one month.

Fiona Mactaggart: We do not record centrally the date on which recalled determinate sentence prisoners are handed their revocation dossier. However, Table 1 shows the number of revocation dossiers dispatched to prisons one week, two weeks, and over two weeks, from the date of their return to custody being notified to the National Offender Management Service. The target for issuing the dossier is one working day after notification.
	
		Table 1: 2005
		
			 Revocation dossiers issued, by number April May June 
		
		
			 Total revocation dossiers sent to establishments 183 413 693 
			 Within seven days of notified return to custody 147 357 611 
			 Within 14 days of notified return to custody 14 27 39 
			 Over 14 days 22 29 43

Prisoners

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate he has made of the average time it takes the prison receiving a recalled prisoner to be given that individual's sentence planning information and risk assessment details; and whether there is a target for them to do so.

Fiona Mactaggart: Prison service instructions require prisons to notify the National Offender Management Service when receiving a recalled determinate sentence prisoner within 24 hours of the offender being received into custody. The revocation dossier includes a risk assessment, completed by the probation service. The target for issuing the dossier is one working day. Data held centrally records 81 percent. dossiers being issued within the target since 1 April 2005.
	Probation service national standards require a risk management plan to be completed within 15 days of a recalled determinate sentence prisoner being received into custody. The plan details the risk the offender presents and how it is proposed to manage the risk when the offender is released back into the community. Upon its completion, the report must be disclosed to the prisoner immediately. No data is held centrally on the number of risk management plans issued within the 15 day target.

Prisoners

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the annual reports submitted to him by independent monitoring boards in the last 12 months have raised concerns that prisoners are arriving from the courts too late in the day to provide an adequate first night in custody service; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: This information is not held centrally. However, where those concerns are raised, they are taken up with the contractors concerned who are responsible for the movement of prisoners around the prison estate.

Prisoners

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign national prisoners were being held in each prison in England and Wales awaiting deportation after the expiry of their sentence on 30 June.

Paul Goggins: Information on the number of people detained in prison establishments solely under Immigration Act powers after the completion of a criminal sentence is not available. The Prison Service does not record information on deportation orders on the Inmate Information System. Information on the number of persons held in prison who are the subject of a deportation order is not therefore available except by examination of individual case-files, at disproportionate cost. Work is on-going to improve the quality of data held on those people detained solely under Immigration Act powers in Prison Service establishments.

Prisoners

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the population of prisoners originating from West Yorkshire in the last year for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information is not recorded centrally on the home address of prisoners in England and Wales. Information is, however, held on the court that a prisoner is committed to or sentenced at.
	On 31 May 2005 there were 4,046 persons held in prison establishments in England and Wales who were committed to or sentenced at courts in West Yorkshire, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system.

Prisoners

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the projected population of prisoners originating from West Yorkshire in (a) 2007, (b) 2010, (c) 2015 and (d) 2025.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office does not currently project the population of prisoners originating from specific geographical areas of England and Wales. The latest national prison population projections are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Prison Population Projections: 2005–2011, England and Wales, HOSB 01/05". An update to these projections will be published (HOSB 10/05) on the 26 July 2005.

Private Security Firms

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of the EU Directive on Services in the Internal Market on the regulation of private security providers in England and Wales who are based in other EU member states.

Paul Goggins: As currently drafted, it is believed that the impact of the Services Directive on the regulation of private security providers who are based in other EU member states will be minimal. This is because the provisions of the Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications (currently being considered by the European Parliament) which deal with the fitness to practice in a regulated profession are exempt from the country of origin principle found in the Services Directive. This means that individuals established in other EU member states who provide security services temporarily in England and Wales will be required to register with the Security Industry Authority.

Private Surveillance Cameras

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect on the right to privacy of the use by private individuals of surveillance video cameras overlooking public spaces.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The Home Office has made no formal evaluation of the effect on the right to privacy arising from the use by private individuals of surveillance video cameras overlooking public spaces.
	CCTV is subject to regulation by the Information Commissioner through the CCTV Systems Code of Practice and the Data Protection Act 1998. Information on this Act can be located at the following web address: http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/eventual.aspx?id=5739 or by writing to the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe house, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Probation Service

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the ratio of staff to offenders in the Hertfordshire probation area in 2003–04 was.

Fiona Mactaggart: As of 31 March 2004, the Hertfordshire Probation Area had 215 employees. This number was made up of 149 operational staff and 66 support staff.
	The caseload at this time was 2,254 offenders.
	Taking into account operational staff alone this makes the ratio of offender to staff at 15 to 1.
	As of 31 March 2004 the National Probation Service had 19,236 employees. This number was made up of 14,250 operational staff and 4,986 support staff. The total caseload at 31 March 2004 is 195,939, which makes an operational ratio of 14 to 1.
	Notes: 1. Operational staff includes those staff with frontline daily contact with offenders. It includes Senior Probation Officers, Senior practitioners, Probation Officers, Trainee Probation Officers, Probation Service Officers, Psychologists and other operational staff who do not fit within one of the aforementioned staff groups.
	2. The period since 1998 has seen significant changes in the way in which the services of the NPS have been delivered. In particular, the use of accredited programmes has seen a number of low/medium risk offenders undergoing an intervention as part of a group rather than on an individual basis as has occurred in the past. The information given on the number of offenders does not identify level of risk or supervision received and consequently, the ratio of Offenders: Operational Staff should be indicative only and not used as a definitive measure of workload.

Probation Service

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing contestability into the provision of probation services.

Paul Goggins: Lord Carter's review Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime", published in January 2004, noted that while contestability had proved a strong stimulus to improvement in the Prison Service, there had been minimal contestability in frontline provision of probation services, and recommended action to introduce greater contestability. I accept that analysis, and have asked my officials to develop by this autumn proposals to test the market for probation services.

Probation Service

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the recruitment strategy is for the probation service in London and the South East for the next financial year.

Fiona Mactaggart: The National Probation Service has in place a recruitment strategy with staff recruitment targets for the service as a whole for the financial year 2006–07 and beyond. These are established by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) finance directorate and relate to the forward business plans of NOMS and the National Probation Directorate (NPD). For 2006–07 they are as follows: This national strategy will impact on the individual local recruitment strategies of the London Probation Area and the areas in the South East of England through the allocation of resources for staffing as part of the annual budget setting process. This budget setting process has yet to impact upon the areas, but for planning purposes each area is working with their own local planning assumptions and targets. It is, however, difficult at this early stage in the budgeting process to be precise about the detail of local recruitment strategies, and some areas are awaiting further funding information before finalising their plans.
	
		
			  National London and SE combined 
		
		
			 Trainee probation officers (TPOs) 500 140 
			 Probation service officers (PSOs) 300 90 
			 Probation officers (POs) 750 220

Proceeds of Crime

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money seized as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 was invested in local police forces in each year of its operation; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: A total of £13 million of recovered criminal assets was returned to the police under the asset recovery incentivisation scheme which came into operation in 2004–05. The amount of money each police force received under the scheme is set out in the table.
	
		
			 Police force Police force share of £13 million (£) 
		
		
			 Metropolitan Police Service 4,027,855.00 
			 National Crime Squad 1,819,909.00 
			 Lancashire Constabulary 570,517.00 
			 Greater Manchester Police 526,360.00 
			 Merseyside Police 443,335.00 
			 Cambridgeshire Constabulary 410,828.00 
			 Derbyshire Constabulary 387,207.00 
			 West Yorkshire Police 345,293.00 
			 City of London Police 337,011.00 
			 West Midlands Police 312,977.00 
			 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 298,726.00 
			 Kent Police 293,697.00 
			 Police Service of Northern Ireland 269,639.00 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 203,722.00 
			 South Yorkshire Police 202,726.00 
			 Devon and Cornwall Constabulary 180,291.00 
			 Cumbria Constabulary 171,340.00 
			 Northamptonshire Police 162,082.00 
			 Dorset Police 160,098.00 
			 Sussex Police 152,749.00 
			 West Mercia Constabulary 152,335.00 
			 Norfolk Constabulary 138,984.00 
			 Northumbria Police 138,645.00 
			 Leicestershire Constabulary 135,893.00 
			 Thames Valley Police 114,413.00 
			 Surrey Police 98,910.00 
			 Cheshire Constabulary 82,542.00 
			 Wiltshire Constabulary 73,550.00 
			 Durham Constabulary 72,764.00 
			 Gwent Police 67,471.00 
			 Hertfordshire Constabulary 67,117.00 
			 Suffolk Constabulary 65,648.00 
			 South Wales Police 61,055.00 
			 Gloucestershire Constabulary 59,514.00 
			 Hampshire Constabulary 50,876.00 
			 Lincolnshire Police 46,931.00 
			 British Transport Police 42,886.00 
			 Staffordshire Police 39,690.00 
			 Humberside Police 38,966.00 
			 Cleveland Police 35,089.00 
			 North Yorkshire Police 31,258.00 
			 Dyfed-Powys Police 30,645.00 
			 Essex Police 29,387.00 
			 Bedfordshire Police 23,598.00 
			 North Wales Police 16,729.00 
			 Warwickshire Police 8,742.00 
			 Total available for incentive payments 13,000,000.00

Proceeds of Crime

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money has been seized as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (a) in total and (b) from drug-related cases in (i) Huddersfield, (ii)Yorkshire and (iii) England.

Paul Goggins: Information is not available in the form requested. The total value of assets recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and earlier legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was £54.5 million in 2003–04 and £84.4 million in 2004–05. The total value of confiscation orders obtained by police forces in Yorkshire and in England under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and earlier legislation is set out in the table.
	In addition, the total value of cash seized by police forces in Yorkshire and in England under the 2002 Act and subsequently forfeited by Order of the Courts is as also set out in the table.
	Information on the value of confiscation orders and cash forfeiture orders obtained by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is not available by region.
	
		Total value of confiscation orders obtained by police forces in Yorkshire and in England
		
			 Area Year Value 
		
		
			 West Yorkshire 2003–04 2,851,709 
			  2004–05 1,051,635 
			
			 North Yorkshire 2003–04 — 
			  2004–05 192,741 
			
			 South Yorkshire 2003–04 784,579 
			  2004–05 927,932 
			
			 England 2003–04 37,196,546 
		
	
	
		Total value of cash seized by police forces in Yorkshire and in England and subsequently forfeited by Order of the Courts
		
			 Area Year Value 
		
		
			 West Yorkshire 2003–04 22,455 
			  2004–05 140,708 
			
			
			 North Yorkshire 2003–04 — 
			  2004–05 12,340 
			
			 South Yorkshire 2003–04 — 
			  2004–05 264,595 
			
			 England 2003–04 2,875,330 
			  2004–05 7,501,798

Programme of Action

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made towards the implementation of the Government's Programme of Action in response to the Insurance Cover Working Group report on Research into Insurance Cover for the voluntary and community sector in England; how many times the Insurance Cover Working Group has met since the publication of the Programme of Action; and what plans the group has for further meetings.

Paul Goggins: The Insurance Cover Working Group (ICWG) published a paper entitled Programme of Action on 16 July 2004 and has met twice since then to monitor progress (in October 2004 and April 2005).
	Following the publication of the Programme of Action, the ICWG noted that work has continued across Government and elsewhere to address many of the points it highlighted. The Department of Work and Pensions has completed its work of the employers' compulsory liability insurance; the Office of Fair Trading has published a second review into liability insurance; and the Department of Constitutional Affairs has set up a ministerial steering group with a civil service action group to address the so-called compensation culture", following the work of the better regulation task force.
	To complement these initiatives, the Home Office has commissioned Volunteering England to lead on an integrated programme of work to address issues to do with risk and insurance in the volunteering sector. This is a 12-month programme of work funded through the ChangeUp programme. The objectives are to enhance and disseminate good practice and to contribute to wider debates on risk and insurance. Detailed recommendations are expected in early 2006 following research and consultation with stakeholders.
	The final meeting of the ICWG is scheduled for September 2005, after which it will be disbanded as the work of the group is subsumed into the programme of work being undertaken by Volunteering England.

Project Iris

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the recognition failure rate is of scans carried out in the pilot project Project Iris;
	(2)  what the reliability levels are of the scanning unit deployed in the 10 locations where Project Iris is being piloted.

Tony McNulty: The IRIS operational pilot went live in two locations at Heathrow Terminal two and Terminal four on 20 June 2005. The technology is based on taking a photograph of the iris pattern, which is the most personally distinct feature on the human body (even identical twins have different iris patterns), and converting it to a digital code.
	The prime contractor for IRIS, SAGEM SA part of the SAFRAN group, are contractually obliged to meet the following biometric rates:
	Failure to Enrol rate (FTR)—must be less than 2 per cent.
	False Reject Rate (FRR)—must be less than 2 per cent.
	False Accept Rate (FAR)—must be less than 0.001 per cent.
	No biometric is 100 per cent. foolproof and biometrics do not have set error rates. The likelihood of errors is determined by the whole system and measures put in place throughout the whole process. Iris recognition has been chosen as the biometric for the IRIS scheme because it outperforms all other biometrics in terms of security, speed and accuracy. We are working with our supplier to ensure that all system error rates will be negligible and will not affect the integrity of the immigration control.
	The pilot will be evaluated prior to commencing roll-out to eight other airport terminals from October 2005. Iris recognition is a method of securely recognising someone by the pattern of their iris.

Project Iris

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables are employed in (a) England and Wales and (b) Essex, broken down by police division; what estimate he has made of the future employment levels of special constables; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: As at 31 March 2005, there were 11,918 special constables in England and Wales and 363 in Essex. The National Policing Plan 2005–08 has a target of achieving up to 14,000 special constables by 2006–07.
	The number of specials by basic command units and central services is expected to be available in autumn 2005.

Public Housing (Vandalism)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of damage caused by vandalism to public housing in each local authority area in (a) Essex and (b) the Metropolitan police area of London in each of the past five years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not collected centrally. Statistics are collected on recorded offences of criminal damage to a dwelling but it is not possible to identify those which are public housing nor is it possible to estimate the amount of damage caused.

Public Protection Panels

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders who are the subject of multi-agency public protection panel arrangements have been reconvicted since 2001; and what the principal offences concerned were.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 16 June 2005
	The information is not available in the form requested except at disproportionate cost. Statistical information on Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) can be found in annual reports available in the House of Commons Library and on the National Probation Service website at the following address:
	http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/page30.asp.

Race Crime

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to deal with race crime.

Paul Goggins: In recent years the Government have strengthened the criminal penalties for offences such as incitement to racial hatred and for racially or religiously aggravated assault and criminal damage. As part of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 the Government created new racially-aggravated offences which make available to the courts higher maximum penalties where there is evidence of racial hostility surrounding the offence. The offences include assaults, criminal damage and harassment.
	In July 2003 the Crown Prosecution Service set out in a Policy Statement a commitment to prosecute racist and religious crime fairly, firmly and robustly. This sends a clear message to perpetrators that they will not get away with threatening, violent or abusive behaviour towards members of racial or religious groups.
	Earlier this year the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office published a Hate Crime Manual, Hate Crime: Delivering a Quality Service." The manual provides good practice guidance on identifying and combating hate crime.
	Additionally, in 2002 the Home Office issued guidance to crime reduction partnerships on tackling racist antisocial behaviour. This included a Racist Crime and Harassment Toolkit.

Race Crime

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice his Department is giving to police authorities on dealing with race crime.

Hazel Blears: No guidance has been provided to police authorities since the Code of Practice on Reporting and Recording racist incidents in April 2000. An evaluation of the impact of the code will be available in late summer.

Race Hatred

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring his Department carries out of incidents involving criminal damage, threats and assaults which may contain an element of race hatred on the part of perpetrator; and what assessment he has made of the trends indicated.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office collects statistical information from a number of sources.
	Offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. Figures are available for the following offences which include a racial element:
	Racially or religiously aggravated less serious wounding;
	Racially or religiously aggravated harassment;
	Racially or religiously aggravated common assault;
	Racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage to a dwelling;
	Racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage to a building other than a dwelling;
	Racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage to a vehicle;
	Racially or religiously aggravated other criminal damage.
	However, it is not possible to separately identify which offences are racial or which are of a religious nature.
	Statistics for 1995 to 2004–05 are published in Table 2.04 of Crime in England and Wales 2004–05", a copy of which is available in the Library. The table also contains figures for percentage changes between 2003–04 and 2004–05.
	The British Crime Survey (BCS) includes information in relation to racially motivated victimisation incidents. Latest findings, based on the 2003–04 BCS, are in chapter three of statistics on race and the criminal justice system 2004; previous data are contained in Home Office Findings 237, July 2004 (for 2002–03) and Home Office Research Study 223, October 2001 (trends up to 2000).
	The survey provides estimates of the number of racially-motivated incidents for all BCS crime for the total population of England and Wales and by ethnic group. It does not provide these estimates by crime type.
	Additionally, the BCS provides a measure of relative risk of crime among different ethnic groups for vandalism and BCS violent crime, but it is not possible to assess to what extent incidents may have been motivated by racial hatred.
	The Home Office court proceedings database currently holds data for 2003 on prosecutions, convictions and sentences for racially or religiously aggravated offences of assault, harassment and criminal damage. Data for 2004 will be available in the autumn.

Rec. 61 Form

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been stopped and issued with a Rec. 61 form in each local authority, broken down by ethnicity.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 22 July 2005
	The requested information is not collected centrally.

Rec. 61 Form

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been stopped and issued with a Rec. 61 form in each London police unit since its inception, broken down by (a)ethnicity and (b) police station.

Andy Burnham: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Rec. 61 Form

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been stopped and issued with Rec.61 forms by Richmond and Kingston police, broken down by (a) ethnicity and (b) police station; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Safety Belts

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) males and (b) females aged 16 years were (i) charged and (ii)convicted in England and Wales of offences under sections (A) 14(3), (B) 15(2) and (C) 15(4) of the Road Traffic 1988 in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: Information from the Home Office court proceedings database on the number of defendants aged 16 years prosecuted for driving/riding a motor vehicle without a seatbelt and driving/riding a motor vehicle containing a child not wearing a seatbelt, by sex, 1999–2003 is contained in the table.
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Persons aged 16 prosecuted and convicted at all courts for seat belt offences under sections 14(3), 15(2) and 15(4) of theRoad Traffic Act 1988, 1999–2003: England and Wales -- Defendants
		
			  1999 2000 2001 
			  Prosecuted Guilty Prosecuted Guilty Prosecuted Guilty 
		
		
			 Males 9 5 6 5 7 3 
			 Females 1 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Total 10 6 7 6 7 3 
		
	
	
		
			  2002 2003 
			  Prosecuted Guilty Prosecuted Guilty 
		
		
			 Males 6 3 7 5 
			 Females 2 1 1 0 
			 Total 8 4 8 5 
		
	
	Note:
	These figures are on the principal offence basis

Schengen Acquis

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the application of the Schengen terms to Romania and Bulgaria.

Andy Burnham: The arrangements for the application of the Schengen Acquis to Bulgaria and Romania are set out in the Protocol to the Accession Treaty. Parts of the acquis will apply to these states from the date of accession (the relevant provisions are listed in Annex II to the Protocol). The remaining parts, in particular the provision providing for the crossing of internal borders without checks on persons, will only apply after a Schengen evaluation has been carried out and the Council is satisfied that the conditions for the application of all parts of the acquis have been met.

Schengen Information System II

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department, if he will make a statement on UK participation in Schengen Information System II.

Andy Burnham: The draft legal instruments on the establishment and operation on the second generation Schengen Information System are currently under negotiation at EU working parties. These instruments constitute a development to the Schengen Acquis and UK participation will be in accordance with the Protocols annexed to the Amsterdam Treaty on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland and the Protocol incorporating the Schengen Acquis.

Security Services (Foreign Languages)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Urdu-speaking special branch officers there are; how many there were on 10 September 2001; and how many Urdu speakers there are in MI5.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Sex Offender Treatment (Wolvercote)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to provide residential sex offender treatment programmes in the community following the closure of the Wolvercote clinic; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: In September 2004, the National Probation Service launched its Sex Offender strategy. As part of the Strategy's objective to develop a range of accommodation options for sex offenders commensurate with risk and need, the National Probation Directorate undertook to develop specialised residential sex offender treatment facilities for sex offenders who require longer treatment programmes and more intensive supervision to reduce their risk. The National Probation Directorate is now seeking to identify suitable locations for such specialised treatment centres.

Sexual Offences Act

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will produce an easy-read guide to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for people with learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: We have been working with Respond, Mencap, the Down's Syndrome Association and the National Forum for People with Learning Difficulties to produce appropriate resources in order to help people with learning disabilities to understand the Sexual Offences Act 2003. It is hoped that the guidance will be available in the autumn.

Sickness Absence

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days the Department has lost due to sickness in the past five years for which figures are available.

Charles Clarke: The annual report Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service" published by the Cabinet Office in November 2004 contains reported sickness absence data for the calendar year 2003 for the Department and its agencies. Table A of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per staff year and the number of staff years on which that calculation is based on. Reports for earlier years are available on the Cabinet Office website.
	The Department is committed to managing sick absence effectively and to putting in place the recommendations of the Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector" report.
	
		Home Department—sickness analysis
		
			  Workdays lost to sickness 
			  2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 (estimated) 
		
		
			 Centrally managed Home Office(173) 
			 IND — 127,440 117,270 124,589 (174)154,963 
			 non-IND — 32,917 31,946 31,043 22,525 
			   
			 UK Passport Service 32,350.5 35,282 34,165 32,336 33,603 
			   
			 Forensic Science Service(175) (176)— 10,093 23,190 9,087 25,823 
			   
			 Public Sector Prisons(177) 592,173 614,150 668,337 628,623 616,367 
		
	
	(173)Reports run for previous 12 months from November 2002, June 2003 and April 2004.
	(174)2005 figures for Core, from PayFact estimated on 11 month basis.
	(175)Reports in 2002 and 2004 are based on five months; 2003 is based on full calendar year. 2005 is at end of fiscal year.
	(176)No data available.
	(177)Reports based on financial years, using 225 working days and the average staff in post for year.
	The Home Office is fully committed to implementing the recommendations of the joint DWP/Cabinet Office report on managing attendance in the public sector and the Group HR Board approved an action plan at its meeting in July to reduce sickness absence across the whole Department.

Sir Roy Meadows

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications of the decisions of the General Medical Council relating to Sir Roy Meadows for the process of accrediting expert witnesses.

Fiona Mactaggart: I am aware of the recent concerns raised with regard to the quality of expert witnesses. I have therefore instituted a consultation exercise on how best to implement a quality regulation system within the forensic science market. The decision of the GMC and the issue of accreditation with appropriate regulatory bodies will be considered as part of that process.

Stop and Search Procedures

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the revised guidelines on the stop and search procedure.

Hazel Blears: Arrangements will be made to place the Stop and Search Manual published on 31 March 2005 in the Libraries of both Houses.

Stop and Search Procedures

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) percentage and (b) numerical charge in (i) stops and (ii) stops and searches has been in each police force, broken down by ethnicity since 7 July; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The information requested is not available. Information on stops and searches is published for financial years. The latest available ethnic breakdown of this data, for 2003–04, was published in February 2005 in Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2004' which is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/section951.html
	along with previous years' equivalent publications.

Terrorism Act

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) legal and (b) administrative action has been taken against (i) individuals and (ii)organisations proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year since its implementation; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: Two individuals were convicted in 2002 in England and Wales under Section 11(1) of the Terrorism Act (membership of a proscribed organisation). They were each sentenced to 2½ years' imprisonment.
	A total of 30 administrative actions have been taken by Her Majesty's Treasury against groups proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000. In all cases this has involved freezing the funds, financial assets, and economic resources of proscribed groups. The authority of Her Majesty's Treasury to freeze assets is derived from the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001 (SI 3365/2001) (which implemented UNSCR 1373 in UK law) and the al-Qaeda and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2002 ((SI 111/2002). The yearly breakdown is as follows.
	
		
			  Total number of actions 
		
		
			 2001 28 
			 2002 1 
			 2003 1

Terrorism Risk Insurance

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications for the United Kingdom of the conclusions of the recent report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Terrorism Risk Insurance in OECD Countries, published on 5 July.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	The report reviews the coverage of terrorism risks by insurance in OECD countries. The Government will consider it with interest. The conclusions of the report are not binding. As the report notes, the UK has a number of schemes relevant to the coverage of terrorism risk insurance, notably the Criminal Injuries Compensation Schemes for personal injuries and the Pool Re scheme for damage to commercial property by terrorism.

Terrorist Attacks (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department will be carrying out a review of London's response to the terrorist attacks of 7 July; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: The Government will be reviewing lessons learnt, but would reiterate what the Prime Minister stated in the House on 11 July 2005, the current focus must be on the ongoing police operation and we would not want anything to distract from that at this stage.

Terrorist Attacks (London)

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the representations that he has received from Muslim community leaders in Leeds regarding their concerns over the recent London suicide bombers.

Paul Goggins: Following the events of 7 July, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary welcomes the statement of condolence, condemnation and reassurance of support made by the Muslim community leaders in Leeds.
	The Home Secretary has had meetings with Muslim community leaders on several occasions since 7 July and is committed to continuing work with faith communities.

Terrorist Training Camps

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that UK citizens are prevented from travelling to terrorist training camps abroad.

Charles Clarke: The forthcoming Terrorism Bill will contain a new offence of providing and receiving training in the use of hazardous substances and in other methods or techniques for terrorist purpose.

Tetra

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on what date there will be full Tetra network coverage for the emergency services in Pembrokeshire;
	(2)  how many Tetra masts are located in Pembrokeshire;
	(3)  how many further Tetra masts are required to achieve full network coverage for the emergency services in Pembrokeshire.

Paul Goggins: Airwave is already available to Dyfed-Powys Police. There are 15 masts in Pembrokeshire. The number and citing of masts is the responsibility of O2 Airwave. The network is substantially in place but small changes can be expected as O2 respond to the evolving requirements of current and future users of Airwaves.

Traffic Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females aged (i) 17 to 24, (ii) 25 to 30, (iii) 31 to 35, (iv) 36 to 40 and (v) over 40 years have been (A) charged with and (B) convicted of (1) failing to comply with a road sign, (2) offences under section (x) 14(3), (y) 15(2) and (z) 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, (3) failing to provide a breath specimen for analysis, (4) failing to stop for a police constable and (5) disobeying a police constable stopping traffic in (aa) Essex Police and (bb) Southend Police in each year since 1990.

Hazel Blears: The available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database for Essex Police force area and South East Essex petty sessional area, 1990 to 2003 is given in the tables, which have been placed in the Library.
	Data for 2004 will be available in the autumn.

Traffic Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females committed offences in England and Wales under sections (i) 14(3), (ii) 15(2) and (iii) 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: Information from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of defendants prosecuted for driving/riding in a motor vehicle without a seatbelt and for driving a motor vehicle with a child not wearing a seatbelt, for the years 1999–2003, is contained in the table. Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Persons prosecuted and convicted at all courts for seat belt offences under sections 14(3), 15(2) and 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, 1999–2003 -- Defendants
		
			 England and Wales Prosecuted Guilty Prosecuted 
		
		
			 1999   
			 Males 1,810 1,478 
			 Females 251 213 
			 Total 2,061 1,691 
			
			 2000   
			 Males 1,419 1,138 
			 Females 198 163 
			 Total 1,617 1,301 
			
			 2001   
			 Males 1,244 1,006 
			 Females 159 138 
			 Total 1,403 1,144 
			
			 2002   
			 Males 1,096 864 
			 Females 163 136 
			 Total 1,259 1,000 
			
			 2003   
			 Males 1,126 856 
			 Females 133 115 
			 Total 1,259 971 
		
	
	Note:
	These figures are on the principal offence basis.

Trials

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Department has to extend trials without jury, as set out in part 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, to other types of trial.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 7 June 2005
	The Attorney-General announced in Parliament on 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 35WS that the Government intend to seek parliamentary approval in the autumn for the implementation in January 2006 of section 43 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which makes provision for certain serious fraud trials to be conducted without a jury. The Government have no plans to make provision for Crown court trials in England and Wales to take place without a jury beyond that which already exists in part 7 of the 2003 Act.

Trials

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to abolish jury trials in fraud cases.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 7 June 2005
	The Attorney-General announced on 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 35WS, the Government's decision that section 43 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, whereby certain serious fraud trials may take place without a jury, should be implemented in January 2006, and that orders for the necessary affirmative resolutions will be laid in both Houses in the autumn. Section 43 makes provision for the judge in a serious or complex fraud case to order, on application by the prosecution, and with the approval of the Lord Chief Justice, that the trial should be conducted without a jury where he is satisfied that its length or complexity is likely to make the trial so burdensome upon the jury that the interests of justice require it.

Trials

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to extend the possibility of conducting trials without jury, as set out in part 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, to other types of trial.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 7 June 2005
	The Attorney-General announced in Parliament on 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 35WS, that the Government intended to seek parliamentary approval in the autumn for the implementation in January 2006 of section 43 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which makes provision for certain serious fraud trials to be conducted without a jury. The Government have no plans to make provision for Crown court trials in England and Wales to take place without a jury beyond that which already exists in part 7 of the 2003 Act.

Trials

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for judge-alone trials in fraud cases.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Attorney-General announced on 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 35WS, the Government's decision that section 43 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, whereby certain serious fraud trials may take place without a jury, should be implemented in January 2006, and that orders for the necessary affirmative resolutions will be laid in both Houses in the autumn. Section 43 makes provision for the judge in a serious or complex fraud case to order, on application by the prosecution, and with the approval of the Lord Chief Justice, that the trial should be conducted without a jury where he is satisfied that its length or complexity is likely to make the trial so burdensome upon the jury that the interests of justice require it.

Trials

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the possibility of conducting trials without jury, as set out in part 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, to other types of trial.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Attorney-General announced in Parliament on 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 35WS, that the Government intended to seek parliamentary approval in the autumn for the implementation in January 2006 of section 43 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which makes provision for certain serious fraud trials to be conducted without a jury. The Government have no plans to make provision for Crown court trials in England and Wales to take place without a jury beyond that which already exists in part 7 of the 2003 Act.

UKPS Biometric Trials

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the results were of the UKPS biometric trials that commenced in April 2004 and was completed in December 2004.

Andy Burnham: The full report of the UKPS biometric trial was published and made available on the UKPS website at www.passport.gov.uk and also at www.identitycards.gov.uk on 25 May 2005.
	The biometric trial's goal was to test the processes and record customer experiences and attitudes during the recording and verification of facial, iris and fingerprint biometrics.
	The majority of participants felt biometrics would help with passport security, preventing identity fraud, preventing illegal immigration and are not an infringement on their civil liberties.

Under-age Drinking/Alcohol Sales

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for the offence of supplying alcohol to a person under the age of 18 were secured in the area of the North Wales Police Force in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: The numbers of defendants found guilty at all courts in North Wales for selling etc., intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumption on the premises' (including wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18") were no defendants in 2000, one defendant in 2002 and five defendants in 2003.
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	The penalty notice for disorder (PND) scheme provides for persons who commit specified penalty offences to be issued with a fixed penalty notice instead of being prosecuted. The offence of selling alcohol to persons aged under 18 was added to the PND scheme on one November 2004 for use on bar or off license staff, licensees will be prosecuted to enable action to be taken to revoke their licenses.
	In North Wales, one penalty notice was issued for this offence in 2004 and provisional data for 2005 shows that four were issued to the end of May.
	Additional powers are being put forward in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill that was introduced on 8 June 2005 to give partners additional tools to help them tackle alcohol misuse. The Bill enables local authorities and the police to create Alcohol Disorder Zones for targeted action; introduces a new Drinking Banning Order and on-the-spot 48 hour exclusions to target those who are or who represent a public order risk; and a power for the police to impose 48-hour bans on pubs and clubs persistently selling to underage drinkers.

Under-age Drinking/Alcohol Sales

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place for under-age drinking in Sheffield, Hallam in each year since 1990.

Fiona Mactaggart: As such there is no specific offence of under-age drinking because the offence is covered under a number of offences on the Home Office Court Proceedings Database.
	Information on these offences is provided in the table, which gives the number of defendants aged 10 to 17 years who were proceeded against in the Sheffield magistrates courts, for selected offences related to alcohol.
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	The penalty notice for disorder scheme was rolled out to all police forces in England and Wales during 2004. The scheme provides for a range of minor offences to be dealt with by the issue of a fixed penalty notice. The offences include ones, which relate to under age drinking, being drunk and disorderly and being drunk in a highway or public place. Data on these offences are collected centrally at police force level only and therefore data related to Sheffield is unavailable.
	
		Number of defendants aged under 18 proceeded against at Sheffield magistrates courts foroffences related to underage drinking 1990–2003(178)
		
			 Offence description Principal statute 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 
		
		
			 Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises Licensing Act 1872 S.12 — — — — 1 — 2 
			 Drunk in, or when entering, a designated sports event Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 S.2(2) 2 4 4 — 2 — — 
			 Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour Criminal Justice Act 1967 S.91 53 22 5 5 2 6 12 
			  Licensing Act 1 964 S.169C(1)and E(1)as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1; Licensing
			 Person under 18 buying or attempting to buy or consuming intoxicating liquor in licensed premises (Occasional Permissions) Act 1 983 S.3 Schedule Para.4(2) — — — — — — — 
			  Total 55 26 9 5 5 6 14 
		
	
	
		
			 Offence description Principal statute 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises Licensing Act 1872 S.12 — — 3 — 1 — — 
			 Drunk in, or when entering, a designated sports event Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 S.2(2) 1 1 — — 1 — — 
			 Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour Criminal Justice Act 1967 S.91 15 20 26 24 16 31 36 
			  Licensing Act 1 964 S.169C(1)and E(1)as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1; Licensing
			 Person under 18 buying or attempting to buy or consuming intoxicating liquor in licensed premises (Occasional Permissions) Act 1 983 S.3 Schedule Para.4(2) — — — — — — — 
			  Total 16 21 29 24 18 31 36 
		
	
	(178)These data are on a principal offence basis.

Under-age Drinking/Alcohol Sales

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for under-age drinking in each police authority in each of the last 10 years.

Andy Burnham: There is no specific offence of under-age drinking. The table, which has been placed in the Library, gives the number of defendants aged 10 to 17 years who were proceeded against at magistrates courts, for selected offences related to alcohol, for the years 1993–2003, broken down by police force area.
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn.

Vehicle Recovery (North Wales)

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will list the garages and scrap merchants contracted to recover vehicles from road traffic accidents in the North Wales police area in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many vehicles were recovered from road traffic accidents by commercial garages and scrap merchants in the North Wales police area in the last three years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Vehicle Registration/Taxation

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions relating to the non-payment of road tax there have been in each police authority in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: Available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database from 1999 to 2003 (latest available) is given in the table.
	2004 data will be available early in 2006.
	
		Proceedings at magistrates courts and total findings of guilt at all courts for the vehicle offence of failing to pay appropriate duty(179), by police force area, England and Wales -- Number of offences
		
			  1999 2000 2001 
			 Police force area Total proceedings Findings of guilt Total proceedings Findings of guilt Total proceedings Findings of guilt 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 7,676 6,442 6,786 5,635 5,893 4,850 
			 Bedfordshire 1,488 1,248 1,166 988 846 708 
			 Cambridgeshire 23 8 13 10 48 44 
			 Cheshire 1,211 1,055 3,534 3,176 4,078 3,619 
			 Cleveland 2,265 1,710 2,319 1,799 1,990 1,599 
			 Cumbria 784 688 915 773 78 65 
			 Derbyshire 1,242 979 1,090 832 980 774 
			 Devon and Cornwall 6,162 5,010 5,923 4,901 5,540 4,653 
			 Dorset 2,591 2,191 2,948 2,485 3,376 2,855 
			 Durham 728 563 336 261 162 125 
			 Essex 10,784 9,992 9,703 8,162 6,439 5,584 
			 Gloucestershire 1,660 1,391 1,627 1,324 1,794 1,541 
			 Greater Manchester 5,502 4,868 6,917 5,959 5,087 4,444 
			 Hampshire 7,513 6,088 7,813 6,247 7,921 6,380 
			 Hertfordshire 5,068 4,209 5,142 4,150 4,935 4,052 
			 Humberside 4,333 3,626 4,838 3,984 4,532 3,801 
			 Kent 189 134 43 17 2,250 1,935 
			 Lancashire 5,146 4,170 5,890 5,013 7,215 6,151 
			 Leicestershire 5,460 4,616 5,802 4,759 5,487 4,639 
			 Lincolnshire 2,661 2,397 2,162 1,905 2,078 1,833 
			 London, City of 632 496 344 311 389 368 
			 Merseyside 2,762 2,277 4,656 3,865 5,573 4,692 
			 Met Police 16,375 14,910 15,408 14,052 15,603 14,267 
			 Norfolk 903 864 875 786 1,937 1,676 
			 Northamptonshire 3,908 3,316 4,824 4,061 4,408 3,808 
			 Northumbria 3,619 3,065 4,559 3,839 4,245 3,587 
			 North Yorkshire 1,076 854 924 735 950 749 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,965 4,188 4,558 3,818 4,001 3,299 
			 South Yorkshire 981 773 954 752 1,249 1,019 
			 Staffordshire 571 482 409 348 146 115 
			 Suffolk 2,923 2,532 3,593 3,026 2,912 2,391 
			 Surrey 1,478 1,254 2,197 1,889 2,269 1,929 
			 Sussex 5,330 4,416 7,114 5,831 6,794 5,454 
			 Thames Valley 1,239 985 2,811 2,306 2,456 1,999 
			 Warwickshire 1,002 892 942 817 872 740 
			 West Mercia 2,944 2,543 3,419 2,905 3,122 2,738 
			 West Midlands 7,432 6,039 6,607 5,367 5,035 4,139 
			 West Yorkshire 5,685 4,627 6,246 4,927 5,662 4,550 
			 Wiltshire 2,330 1,985 2,146 1,800 2,292 1,924 
			 England 138,641 117,883 147,553 123,815 140,644 119,096 
			 Dyfed Powys 2,289 2,014 2,067 1,777 1,841 1,603 
			 Gwent 1,985 1,740 2,783 2,425 3,456 3,123 
			 North Wales 1,359 1,140 1,613 1,329 1,941 1,589 
			 South Wales 4,550 3,880 4,155 3,430 4,383 3,772 
			 Wales 10,183 8,774 10,618 8,961 11,621 10,087 
			
			 England and Wales 148,824 126,657 158,171 132,776 152,265 129,183 
		
	
	
		Number of offences
		
			  2002 2003 
			 Police force area Total proceedings Findings of guilt Total proceedings Findings of guilt 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 7,963 6,554 7,027 5,868 
			 Bedfordshire 1,308 1,103 2,149 1,791 
			 Cambridgeshire 13 3 22 12 
			 Cheshire 3,782 3,321 4,826 4,368 
			 Cleveland 1,585 1,348 2,432 2,387 
			 Cumbria 10 6 1,085 913 
			 Derbyshire 1,131 927 3,870 3,250 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8,827 7,498 9,826 8,414 
			 Dorset 3,058 2,557 3,601 3,090 
			 Durham 47 17 11 4 
			 Essex 7,091 6,129 6,080 5,371 
			 Gloucestershire 1,667 1,461 2,230 1,926 
			 Greater Manchester 4,570 4,125 8,756 7,749 
			 Hampshire 8,768 7,029 7,714 6,350 
			 Hertfordshire 3,559 2,923 4,643 3,771 
			 Humberside 4,649 3,940 5,410 4,610 
			 Kent 4,503 3,865 5,411 4,607 
			 Lancashire 5,351 4,748 6,414 5,645 
			 Leicestershire 5,881 4,949 5,671 4,691 
			 Lincolnshire 2,303 2,049 2,501 2,171 
			 London, City of 476 442 408 376 
			 Merseyside 4,864 4,091 8,252 6,824 
			 Met Police 14,649 13,420 26,813 24,765 
			 Norfolk 2,059 1,829 3,118 2,771 
			 Northamptonshire 4,880 4,169 4,462 3,817 
			 Northumbria 3,618 3,034 3,183 2,599 
			 North Yorkshire 714 568 846 680 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,265 3,528 3,920 3,198 
			 South Yorkshire 1,336 1,045 3,771 3,196 
			 Staffordshire 81 56 75 43 
			 Suffolk 2,911 2,381 2,993 2,442 
			 Surrey 2,612 2,265 2,240 1,923 
			 Sussex 6,803 5,660 7,733 6,363 
			 Thames Valley 1,894 1,533 3,409 2,817 
			 Warwickshire 798 694 983 873 
			 West Mercia 3,099 2,646 3,061 2,677 
			 West Midlands 5,528 4,606 14,040 11,472 
			 West Yorkshire 5,151 4,143 8,547 7,101 
			 Wiltshire 2,281 1,915 2,425 2,049 
			 England 144,085 122,577 189,958 162,974 
			 Dyfed Powys 1,925 1,715 1,784 1,568 
			 Gwent 4,330 3,866 4,184 3,738 
			 North Wales 2,781 2,298 3,188 2,711 
			 South Wales 4,776 4,142 6,362 5,590 
			 Wales 13,812 12,021 15,518 13,607 
			  
			 England and Wales 157,897 134,598 205,476 176,581 
		
	
	(179)Offence under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 s. 29 (1)-(3).
	Note:
	The statistics of court proceedings are based on returns made by the police to the Home Office's Data Collection Group. Although these include offences where there has been no police involvement such as those prosecutions instigated by Government Departments (in this case the DVLA) and private organisations and individuals, the reporting of these types of offences is known to be incomplete. Moreover, it is thought that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings, in particular those relating to motoring offences and to TV licence evasion, may also be less than complete; the extent of under-reporting may vary from year to year and this could be responsible in part for the annual variations.

Victims

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many government-funded victim support schemes are operating, broken down by (a) location and (b) type of scheme.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 18 July 2005
	Victim Support is the Government's principal provider of support services to victims and witnesses of crime. The Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) provides them with grant in aid funding. This funding has nearly trebled from £11.7 million at the start of the financial year 1997–98 to £30 million in 2005–06.
	OCJR's funding of Victim Support enables them to provide services to those affected by crime across the whole of England and Wales. Victim Support have an area-based structure, which is broadly similar to the Criminal Justice Areas.
	Victim Support provide:
	(i) support services, planned on an area basis, to victims of crime (including arson, burglary, crimes against children and young people, domestic violence, hate crimes, murder or manslaughter, racist crimes, rape and sexual assault, robbery, violent crime), their relatives and friends on the basis of referrals from police forces, self referral and referral from other sources;
	(ii) support services, planned on an area basis, to prosecution and defence witnesses, their families and friends in the Crown court and magistrates courts; and
	(iii) a centrally-based telephone helpline offering support to victims, witnesses, their families and friends.

Victims

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the Witness and Victim Experience Survey circulated to local criminal justice boards.

Fiona Mactaggart: A copy of the questionnaire for the Witness and Victim Experience Survey will be placed in the Library. The first results for the Witness and Victim Experience Survey will be published in spring 2006 and copies of this report will also be available in the Library.

Violent Crime Reduction Bill

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Violent Crime Reduction Bill.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 19 July 2005
	An overarching Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) for the Violent Crime Reduction Bill was published upon introduction on 8 June. The 13 more detailed individual RIAs, produced in relation to individual measures within the Bill, are currently available on the Home Office website.

Voluntary Work

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate how many people undertook voluntary work in (a) the UK and (b)Scotland in each year between 1997 and 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Volunteering is a devolved issue. The Secretary of State for the Home Department has responsibility in England. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has responsibility in Northern Ireland. The Scottish Executive and the National Assembly Government have responsibility in Scotland and Wales respectively.
	Consequentially there are no centrally collected statistics on the levels of volunteering in the UK as a whole. The 2003 Home Office Citizenship Survey (Home Office Research Study 289) showed that in 2003 around 17.9 million (or 42 per cent.) of people in England and Wales undertook formal volunteering at least once in the 12 months preceding the survey (through groups, clubs, organisations). This was up from 16.3 million (or 39 per cent.) in 2001, the first year of the survey.

Volunteering

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was to public funds, including lottery funding, in the last five years of (a) Volunteering England, (b) the Institute of Volunteering Research, (c) Future Builders, (d) ChangeUp, (e) the Active Community Unit, (f) Community Service Volunteers, (g) the Experience Corps, (h) the Youth Action Network, (i) Millennium Volunteers and (j) Corporate Challenge; what targets or outcomes have been set as a condition of funding in each case; and what information he has collected on their progress in meeting those targets.

Charles Clarke: holding answer 30 June 2005
	The information is as follows.
	(a) Volunteering England (includes funding to the Institute of Volunteering Research)
	Home Office
	Funding
	Volunteering England was formed in April 2004 and received £5.9 million from the Home Office in 2004–05.
	Targets and progress
	This funding relates to a number of Volunteering England projects and each of these contribute to Volunteering England's strategic growth and support the organisations development of a national infrastructure to support volunteering. Volunteering England is still a relatively new organisation but early indications are that the organisation is performing well.
	Department for Health
	Funding
	Volunteering England has received £10.8 million from the Department of Health under the Departments Section 64 and Opportunities for Volunteering grant rounds.
	In the case of Section 64 this funding has been allocated to six projects volunteering projects run by Volunteering England.
	In the case of Opportunities for Volunteering, Volunteering England act as national agent for the Department for Health, allocating funding to local projects subject to suitable business cases being made.
	Targets and progress
	There are a number of targets associated to this funding, specific details of each of these targets, for each year of funding are unavailable without expending disproportionate effort.
	Department of Health officials state that the performance of Volunteering England has been good and that they continue to have good relationships with the organisation.
	(c) Futurebuilders
	 Funding
	The Futurebuilders initiative began in 2003. Latest figures (30 April 2005) show that to date investments have been made totalling 24 million. The Home Office is Futurebuilders sole funder.
	Targets and progress
	Futurebuilders has a target to invest in up to 250 schemes, with a minimum of 225, operating in or across the five public service delivery areas of health and social care, crime, community cohesion, education and learning and support for children and young people. Latest figures (30 April 2005) show that 51 organisations have been funded.
	(d) ChangeUp
	Funding
	The ChangeUp programme began in 2003 and 10 million was spent on the programme between 2003–04 and 2004–05. The Home Office is ChangeUp's sole funder.
	Targets and progress
	ChangeUp investment is focused on achieving the high level outcomes of the ChangeUp framework:
	a highly skilled workforce, performance improvement, more effective use of ICT, strengthened governance, improved volunteer support and more diverse and effective income generation within the voluntary and community sector (VCS)
	support for frontline organisations which is available nationwide, structured for maximum efficiency, offering excellent provision which is accessible to all while reflecting and promoting diversity, and is sustainable funded
	Partnerships of VCS organisations have been successfully developed at local, regional and national level to implement ChangeUp and investment is beginning to be made at all these levels in line with achieving the objectives. It is too early for a full evaluation of this activity.
	(e) The Active Community Unit
	Funding
	Between 2000–01 and 2004–05 £336 million has been spent by the Home Office Active Community Unit. It is important to note that this figure includes funding to Volunteering England, the Institute of Volunteering Research, Futurebuilders, ChangeUp, Community Service Volunteers, the Experience Corps and the Youth Action Network. It should also be noted that the Active Community Unit is now part of the wider Home Office Active Communities Directorate, which also includes the Charities Unit and the Volunteering and Charitable Giving Unit.
	Targets and progress: SR2002 PSA8
	The Active Communities Directorate is responsible for the Government's Public Service Agreement target, agreed as part of Spending Review 2002, to increase voluntary and community sector activity, including increasing community participation, by 5 per cent. by 2006. Achievement of this PSA target is dependent on the measurement of two activities: (i) community participation and (ii) voluntary and community sector activity.
	Community participation" is measured by the Home Office Citizenship Survey and is defined as involvement in civic participation, informal or formal volunteering at least once a month in the last 12 months.
	The 5 per cent. PSA target would require an increase of 0.9 million people on the 2001 baseline figure of 18.8 million by 2006. The Home Office Citizenship Survey 2003 shows that between 2001 and 2003, the percentage of people in England who had participated at least once a month in one or more of the three core activities increased from 48 per cent. to 51 per cent. In numerical terms, this represents an increase of more than 1.5 million, well in excess of the 0.9 million target for 2006.
	Voluntary and community sector activity", specifically the contribution of the voluntary and community sector to the delivery of public services, is measured by the State of the Sector Panel Survey. The Panel consists of more than 5000 members that together reflect the diversity of the voluntary and community sector in England.
	Baseline information was collected for financial year 2002–03 and progress towards the PSA target will be measured between this year and 2005/06 by the Voluntary and Community Sector Activity Index. The survey for the baseline year has been completed and revised data will be available in April 2005. The survey for 2003–04 is currently in the field and data will be available in late autumn 2005.
	Targets and progress: SR2004 PSA6
	The Active Communities Directorate is also responsible for the Government's Public Service Agreement target, agreed as part of Spending Review 2004, to increase voluntary and community engagement, especially amongst those at risk of social exclusion. The target has two elements: (i) increasing voluntary activity by individuals at risk of social exclusion and (ii) increasing the capacity and contribution of the voluntary and community sector to deliver more public services.
	Voluntary activity by individuals at risk of social exclusion" is measured by the Home Office Citizenship Survey and is defined as involvement in informal or formal volunteering at least once a month in the last 12 months by people with no qualifications, people from black and minority ethnic communities and people with disabilities or limiting long-term illnesses.
	'The capacity and contribution of the voluntary and community sector to deliver more public services' is measured in the same way that voluntary and community sector activity" is for SR2002 PSA8.
	(f) Community Service Volunteers
	Home Office
	Funding
	Community Service Volunteers (CSV) has received £5.74 million from the Home Office between 2000–01 to 2004–05.
	Targets and progress
	This funding relates to a number of CSV projects each of which contribute to CSV's strategic work as one of the UK's largest and oldest volunteering organisations. Targets for these projects vary from year to year and are formally agreed with CSV via the submission of workplans and budgets. Specific details of each of these targets for each year are unavailable without expending disproportionate effort. To date CSV's progress has been good.
	Department for Health
	Funding
	CSV has received £1.7 million from the Department of Health under the Departments Section 64 and Opportunities for Volunteering grant rounds.
	Targets and progress
	In the case of Section 64 this funding is for three projects run by CSV.
	In the case of Opportunity for Volunteers CSV act as national agents for the Department of Health allocating funding to local projects subject to suitable business cases being made.
	Targets and outcomes for this funding are set on a yearly basis, specific details of each of these targets is unavailable without expending disproportionate effort.
	Department of Health officials state that the performance of CSV has been good and that they continue to have good relationships with the organisation.
	Department for Education and Skills
	Funding
	CSV has received £2.06 million from the Department for Education and Skills. This funding has been directed at CSV's management of the neighbourhood support fund and funding to develop a range of resource materials to support the teaching of citizenship education.
	Targets and progress
	Targets and outcomes for this funding are set on a yearly basis, specific details of each of these targets is unavailable without expending disproportionate effort.
	National Lottery
	Funding
	CSV has received £5.1 million from lottery funds.
	Targets and progress
	These funds have been allocated to 40 CSV projects with a range of targets. Details of targets and progress for each of these projects are unavailable without disproportionate effort.
	(g) Experience Corps
	Funding
	The Experience Corps was established as a company limited by guarantee, funded by but separate from the Home Office in 2001. The Home Office provided approximately £20 million (£5.5 million/£7.2 million/£7.2 million) between 2001–02 to 2003–04.
	Targets and progress
	The organisations key target was to recruit 250,000 new volunteers in the three years of their funding. As at December 2003 the organisation stated that they had recruited over 153,000 volunteers, an evaluation in March 2003 revealed concerns surrounding the Experience Corps volunteer recruitment figures, specifically how many of these volunteers became actively engaged in volunteering activities.
	(h) Youth Action Network Funding
	Funding
	Youth Action Network received £100, 000 in 2004–05.
	Targets and progress
	Targets associated with this funding were:
	To promote and develop the youth action approach to volunteering and facilitate the promotion of volunteering to wider audiences of young people
	To provide policy level representation for local, regional and national youth volunteering—to Government, the voluntary and statutory sector and other bodies with a stake in the development of young people and participation
	To promote and disseminate good practice relating to youth volunteering and improve the quality of youth volunteering
	Youth Action Network has been very active in its awareness raising activities and has been involved in or led a number of initiatives to promote volunteering to a wider audience of young people. The organisation has been particularly active in increasing Youth Action Network's influence and representation within Government and statutory bodies and has developed a good practice library that can be accessed by partners via their website.
	National Lottery
	Funding
	Youth Action Network has received £282,901 from lottery funds.
	Targets and progress
	This funding is for the production of a research project on young people and social inclusion, defining what factors contribute to successful youth engagement.
	This project began in December 2004, it is therefore too early to assess progress.
	Department for Education and Skills
	Funding
	Youth Action Network has been funded under the National Voluntary Youth Organisation Grant scheme and between 2002–03 to 2004–05 received £139,427.
	Youth Action also received funding under the Transforming Youth Work Development fund, between 2002–03 to 2003–04 the organisation received £22, 240.
	Targets and progress
	Targets and outcomes for this funding are set on a yearly basis, specific details of each of these targets is unavailable without expending disproportionate effort.
	(i) Millennium Volunteers
	Funding
	Between 2000–01 and 2004–05 Millennium Volunteers has received £72.66 million. The Department for Education and Skills is Millennium Volunteers sole funder. This amount includes funding from DfES to CSV (£7.21 million) to deliver Millennium Volunteers projects. It also includes funding to the Institute of Volunteering Research (£170,000) to evaluate Millennium Volunteers.
	Targets and progress
	The published target for the programme was 100,000 young volunteers by December 2003. The target was achieved six months earlier than planned and it is expected that 200,000 young people will have volunteered under Millennium Volunteers by July 2005.
	(j) Corporate Challenge
	To date no public money has been spent on supporting the Corporate Challenge.

Volunteering

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to public funds of the Experience Corps has been to date; what targets were set for it in return for Government funding; and how it has performed against those targets.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 4 July 2005
	The Experience Corps (TEC) was established in 2001 and received approximately £20 million from the Home Office between 2001–02 and 2003–04 as part of a £300 million injection of funding into the voluntary sector under the Government's Active Community Initiative.
	TEC's key target was to recruit 250,000 new volunteers over the age of 50. As at December 2003 TEC reported that it had recruited over 153,000 volunteers although an evaluation earlier that year raised concerns about the organisation's recruitment figures.
	TEC currently has over 493,000 opportunities and 230,000 members, including 60,000 from ethnic minority communities. Its team of dedicated animators" covers every region of England and has formed relationships with over 1,000 organisations across the country.

Wales (Better Governance)

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to implement Paragraph 3.12 of the White Paper, Better Governance for Wales" (Cm 6582), in respect of any bill he introduces in the current Session of Parliament.

Andy Burnham: The Home Office is in discussion with the Welsh Assembly Government on the issues relating to paragraph 3.12 of the White Paper Better Governance for Wales".

Water Savings

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, at which non-office sites on the Department's estate he has identified opportunities for significant water savings.

Andy Burnham: Prisons and laboratories have been identified as the non-office sites on the Department's estate which have an opportunity for significant water savings. The Prison Service has set good practice" and typical" benchmarks for establishments with and without laundries. Based on these, water targets are set for each prison. 40 establishments currently exceed the typical" benchmark and therefore offer opportunities for significant water savings. Performance is monitored and governors are required to report any increase in consumption greater than 2.5 per cent. on a 12 month moving average and establishments are asked for a report stating the reasons for the increase and what they have done to rectify the situation. Individual targets have been set for laboratories based on Watermark benchmarking data and they are required to monitor and report usage on an annual basis.

Wheel Clamping

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Security Industry Authority in regulating and licensing operations in the wheel clamping industry.

Paul Goggins: From 3 May it became illegal to work as a vehicle immobiliser (wheel-clamper) on private land without a Security Industry Authority licence. As of 20 July the number of licenses that have been granted are 637, the number of applications that have been accepted are 868, the number registered on the Qualifications Database are 1,361 and the number of applications refused are 74.

Worker Registration Scheme

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many migrants have applied under the Worker Registration Scheme; and of those how many applications were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The latest management information from the Worker Registration Scheme for the period 1 May 2004 to 31 March 2005 was published on the 26 May 2005. The total number of applicants to the scheme during this period was 176,095. A breakdown of the decisions for these applicants is contained in the table. The next set of figures, incorporating the second quarter of 2005 (April to June 2005), and accompanying statement will be published in late August 2005.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Approved 165,620 
			 Refused 1,540 
			 Exempt 760 
			 Withdrawn 7,490 
			 Total 176,095

Young Crime Victims

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the most common forms of crime committed against young people of school age were in (a) Southend constituency, (b) Essex, (c) Greater London and (d) England and Wales in the last five years for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Statistics on crimes against young people of school age are not collected centrally. Valuable information about youth victimisation is provided by the MORI Youth Survey, an annual self report survey conducted for the Youth Justice Board. The survey covers a sample of young people across England and Wales, aged 11 to 16 years, and includes information about both offending and victimisation.
	The 2004 survey shows that 49 per cent. of young people in mainstream schools say that they have been the victim of an offence, compared with 46 per cent. in 2003. The figure reported in 2002 was 61 per cent. The data on victimisation are not broken down by area or region.
	The 2004 survey shows that the most common offences against young people of compulsory secondary school age were: being threatened (26 per cent. of the sample); being bullied (23 per cent. of the sample); and having something other than a mobile phone stolen from them (15 per cent. of the sample).

Young Offenders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve rehabilitation and education amongst young offenders to prevent re-offending; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: In recognition of the low level of attainment in relation to literacy and numeracy skills amongst young people who offend, the Youth Justice Board has a target to ensure that at least 90 percent. of young offenders are in suitable full-time education, training or employment during and at the end of sentence by March 2006, and that good resettlement plans covering accommodation are in place for young people leaving secure facilities.

Young Offenders

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many secure unit places for juvenile offenders there are in London.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Youth Justice Board contracts for the use of 18 places for young male offenders at Orchard Lodge secure children's home, which is managed by London borough of Southwark.

Young Offenders

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Offender Management Information System will systematically collect (a) data on individual prisoners' children under the age of 18 years, including their age and (b) the care arrangements for each child.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the children of offenders will be recorded as key data items on the system. Care arrangements for each child can be recorded if required.

HEALTH

Abortions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate based on statistics for maternal deaths, admissions to hospitals following septic abortion, prosecutions for procuring illegal abortion and the number of illegal abortion cases known to the police in each year since 1975.

Caroline Flint: The number of prosecutions for procuring illegal abortion is shown in the table. The other information requested is not held centrally.
	
		Number of offenders proceeded against at all courts for procuring illegal abortion"(180) in England and Wales—1975 to 2003
		
			  Proceeded against 
		
		
			 1975 1 
			 1976 3 
			 1977 5 
			 1978 3 
			 1979 1 
			 1980 3 
			 1981 — 
			 1982 — 
			 1983 1 
			 1984 3 
			 1985 2 
			 1986 1 
			 1987 2 
			 1988 6 
			 1989 5 
			 1990 1 
			 1991 2 
			 1992 1 
			 1993 2 
			 1994 7 
			 1995 2 
			 1996 2 
			 1997 3 
			 1998 4 
			 1999 1 
			 2000 1 
			 2001 1 
			 2002 3 
			 2003 3 
		
	
	(180)These data are on the principal offence basis.
	Source:
	RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Ref: IOS 273–05

Abortions

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed on patients (a) under 16 years, (b) 16 to 19 years and (c) aged 20 years and over in Wellingborough constituency in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The available information for abortions performed in England and Wales is contained in the annual Office for National Statistics (ONS) publication, Abortion Statistics, series AB", and the Department of Health publications, Statistical Bulletin 2003/23, Statistical Bulletin 2004/14 and Statistical Bulletin 2005/11". Data for 1991 onwards can be found on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Statistics/StatisticalWorkAreas/StatisticalPublicHealth/fs/en
	Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

Acute Cerebral/Acute Coronary Events

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the incidence of (a) acute cerebral events and (b) acute coronary events has been in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the average age of people suffering from (a) stroke and (b) coronary episode has been in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		All diagnosis count of episodes, mean and median age for selected diagnoses(181), national health service hospitals, England, 1997–98 to 2003–04
		
			  All diagnosis count of episodes Mean age 
			  Stroke Coronary Stroke Coronary 
		
		
			 1999–2000 161,062 499,841 73.7 69.5 
			 2000–01 162,293 537,780 73.9 69.8 
			 2001–02 167,952 552,586 74.0 70.2 
			 2002–03 179,427 597,607 74.1 70.6 
			 2003–04 178,020 608,023 74.2 71.0 
		
	
	(181)Selected diagnoses:
	(a) Cerebral event" would probably fall under the categories listed here under stroke".
	Stroke:
	I60.0 Subarachnoid haemorrhage from carotid siphon and bifurcation
	I60.1 Subarachnoid haemorrhage from middle cerebral artery
	I60.2 Subarachnoid haemorrhage from anterior communicating artery
	I60.3 Subarachnoid haemorrhage from posterior communicating artery
	I60.4 Subarachnoid haemorrhage from basilar artery
	I60.5 Subarachnoid haemorrhage from vertebral artery
	I60.6 Subarachnoid haemorrhage from other intracranial arteries
	I60.7 Subarachnoid haemorrhage from intracranial artery, unspecified
	I60.8 Other Subarachnoid haemorrhage
	I60.9 Subarachnoid haemorrhage, unspecified
	I61.0 Intracerebral haemorrhage in hemisphere, subcortical
	I61.1 Intracerebral haemorrhage in hemisphere, cortical
	I61.2 Intracerebral haemorrhage in hemisphere, unspecified
	I61.3 Intracerebral haemorrhage in brain stem
	I61.4 Intracerebral haemorrhage in cerebellum
	I61.5 Intracerebral haemorrhage, intraventricular
	I61.6 Intracerebral haemorrhage, multiple localized
	I61.8 Other intracerebral haemorrhage
	I61.9 Intracerebral haemorrhage, unspecified
	I62.0 Subdural haemorrhage (acute) (nontraumatic)
	I62.1 Nontraumatic extradural haemorrhage
	I62.9 Intracranial haemorrhage (nontraumatic), unspecified
	I63.0 Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of precerebral arteries
	I63.1 Cerebral infarction due to embolism of precerebral arteries
	I63.2 Cerebral infarction due to unspecified occlusion or stenosis of precerebral arteries
	I63.3 Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of cerebral arteries
	I63.4 Cerebral infarction due to embolism of cerebral arteries
	I63.5 Cerebral infarction due to unspecified occlusion or stenosis of cerebral arteries
	I63.6 Cerebral infarction due to cerebral venous thrombosis, nonpyogenic
	I63.8 Other cerebral infarction
	I63.9 Cerebral infarction, unspecified
	I64.X Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction
	(b) As coronary event" could possibly refer to either myocardial infarction or angina, both have been included, and the codes for cardiac arrest have also been added.
	I20.0 Unstable angina
	I20.1 Angina pectoris with documented spasm
	I20.8 Other forms of angina pectoris
	I20.9 Angina pectoris, unspecified
	I21.0 Acute transmural myocardial infarction of anterior wall
	I21.1 Acute transmural myocardial infarction of inferior wall
	I21.2 Acute transmural myocardial infarction of other sites
	I21.3 Acute transmural myocardial infarction of unspecified site
	I21.4 Acute subendocardial myocardial infarction
	I21.9 Acute myocardial infarction, unspecified
	I22.0 Subsequent myocardial infarction of anterior wall
	I22.1 Subsequent myocardial infarction of inferior wall
	I22.8 Subsequent myocardial infarction of other sites
	I22.9 Subsequent myocardial infarction of unspecified site
	I46.0 Cardiac arrest with successful resuscitation
	I46.1 Sudden cardiac death, so described
	I46.9 Cardiac arrest, unspecified
	Notes:
	1.All diagnoses count of episodes—these figures represent a count of all finished consultant episodes (FCEs) where the diagnosis was mentioned in any of the 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in a hospital episode statistics (HES) record.
	2.The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	3.As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (six prior to 2002–03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.
	4.A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.
	5.Figures are grossed for both coverage and missing/invalid clinical data, except for 2003–04, which are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
	Source:
	HES, Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Adoption (Romania)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have been adopted from Romania in the last 10 years involving home study assessments in the UK.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not available centrally. The following table shows the number of applications to adopt from Romania, including a home study assessment, processed since 1994 by the Department of Health and since June 2003 by the Department for Education and Skills:
	
		
			  Number of applications 
		
		
			 1994 14 
			 1995 9 
			 1996 10 
			 1997 5 
			 1998 17 
			 1999 18 
			 2000 24 
			 2001 5 
			 2002 3 
			 2003 1 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 1

Adverse Drug Reactions (Older People)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 201W, on adverse drug reactions (older people), what the equivalent figures were in 1997.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 20 July 2005, Official Report, column 1885–86W.

Alcohol-related Conditions

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been treated by accident and emergency departments in Milton Keynes General Hospital for alcohol-related conditions and injuries in the last 12 months.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available centrally.

Alcohol-related Conditions

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 30 years in the area corresponding most closely to St. Albans (a) are subject to alcohol treatment orders, (b) being treated for alcohol-related illnesses and (c) have been convicted of alcohol-related offences in the last 12 months; and whatthe equivalent figures have been in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Information as to the number of people under the age of 30 years in the area corresponding most closely to St. Albans is not collected centrally.
	The number of people being treated for alcohol-related illnesses are only available by health authority. The table shows the number of finished hospital episodes, which is the only data available, for people under or over 18 in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area, which includes residents of St. Albans, who have been treated for alcohol-related diseases. The figures for those convicted of alcohol-related offences is not held by the Department.
	
		Counts of finished admission episodes for selected alcohol related diseases1 by SHA of residence and age grouping—national health service hospitals, England 1996–97 to 2003–04
		
			  Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 
			  Under 18 Over 18 
		
		
			 1996–97 139 526 
			 1997–98 159 677 
			 1998–99 148 712 
			 1999–2000 158 734 
			 2000–01 122 629 
			 2001–02 176 687 
			 2002–03 148 707 
			 2003–04 133 815 
		
	
	(182)Alcohol related diseases defined as following ICD-10 codes recorded in primary diagnosis
	F10—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol.
	K70—Alcoholic liver disease.
	T51—Toxic effect of alcohol.
	Notes:
	1.alcohol related" is not a clearly defined condition and that there may be some differences in codes used in different cases.
	2.The figures do not relate to the number of people diagnosed with specified conditions, but the number of admitted care episodes in NHS hospitals where the codes were the primary diagnosis.
	Source:
	Hospital episode statistics, Health and Social Care information Centre.

Alimta/Pemetrexed

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  in which areas of England Alimta/Pemetrexed is available on the NHS to treat mesothelioma;
	(2)  what advice she has received from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence relating to the prescribing of Alimta/Pemetrexed as a treatment for mesothelioma patients;
	(3)  what advice she has received from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence concerning the most effective treatments for mesothelioma;
	(4)  what guidelines her Department has issued concerning the most effective treatments for mesothelioma;
	(5)  what research her Department is funding into medical interventions in the treatment of mesothelioma; and what amount of that research is directed at palliative care.

Rosie Winterton: In 2003, the Department set up the lung cancer and mesothelioma advisory group (LCMAG) to work closely with the voluntary sector and patient and professional groups in order to support the development and delivery of high quality services for lung cancer patients.
	In 2004, a mesothelioma sub-group was set up to advise LCMAG specifically on the requirements for a good clinical service for mesothelioma, and on priorities for research. The work of this sub-group is still progressing.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has not produced guidance on the most effective treatments for mesothelioma, but is appraising the use of pemetrexed disodium for the treatment of mesothelioma. The appraisal is expected to be issued in October 2006.
	It is possible for all national health service doctors to currently prescribe pemetrexed disodium for patients if the primary care trust (PCT) or NHS trust agrees to supply it at NHS expense and the doctor retains clinical responsibility for the patient while prescribing pemetrexed disodium. It has been made clear that trusts should not refuse to fund a drug on the grounds that guidance is not available when the product is licensed. In those circumstances, they are expected to make their own assessment of available evidence before deciding how and if to fund the drug locally.
	The national cancer research network, established and funded by the Department, is currently providing NHS infrastructure support for five mesothelioma studies. These are:
	A trial of chemotherapy for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
	A population based case-control study of mesothelioma and lung cancer in relation to occupation in British men and women under the age of 60.
	A pilot study to determine the feasibility and acceptability of performing a randomised trial comparing extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP) against no EPP surgery within the context of trimodality therapy (chemotherapy, surgery, post-operative radiotherapy).
	A prospective randomised controlled trial of video-assisted thoracoscopic cytoreductive pleurectomy compared to talc pleurodesis in patients with suspected or proven malignant mesothelioma.
	A palliative care centred study examining whether nebulised furosemide improves severe breathlessness in patients with lung cancer, including mesothelioma.
	Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by NHS organisations. Details of individual projects, including a number concerned with the treatment and care of people with mesothelioma, can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research.

Alzheimer's Disease

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings she had during May and June about the prescription of drug treatments to people with Alzheimer's disease.

Jane Kennedy: Ministers and officials meet on a regular basis to discuss the development of services for those with dementia. I had an introductory meeting with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on 9 June, at which work on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatments for Alzheimer's disease were discussed.

Alzheimer's Disease

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1) how many people with Alzheimer's disease were prescribed anticholinesterase inhibitors in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003 and (e) 2004;
	(2)  what the cost to the NHS was of drug treatments for people with Alzheimer's disease in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003 and (e) 2004.

Liam Byrne: Information is not available in the form requested. The Department does not hold data on the number of people who receive medication. The following table shows the total number of prescription items for dementia drugs as defined in section 4.11 of the British National Formulary, that were dispensed in the community in England from 2000 to 2004. Also shown are the annual net ingredient cost of these drugs.
	
		
			   Items (thousand) Net ingredient cost (£ million) 
		
		
			 2001 122.1 11.0 
			 2002 231.3 20.6 
			 2003 358.2 31.3 
			 2004 501.6 42.8 
		
	
	Source:
	Prescription cost analysis database.

Alzheimer's Disease

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of which other EU states do not fund the provision of drugs for people with Alzheimer's disease.

Jane Kennedy: No such assessment has been undertaken.

Ambulance Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulances are available in each primary care trust area in (a) Essex and (b) the Metropolitan Police area of London; and how many were available in (i) 1995, (ii) 1996, (iii) 1997, (iv) 1998, (v) 2000, (vi) 2002 and (vii) 2004.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the pay scales for ambulance crews;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the wage structure for ambulance crews in (a) England and (b) Lancashire;
	(3)  what the recommended pay is for each type of ambulance personnel;
	(4)  how many pay structures are in place for ambulance crews in England.

Liam Byrne: All ambulance staff in the country are now covered by the new Agenda for Change" pay system. Agenda for Change" replaces existing Whitley Council arrangements for ambulance staff and is open to ambulance staff on local contracts who wish to transfer to the new terms and conditions. All national health service organisations are working to implement the new system by September 2005.
	Under the new system, pay is determined through application of the NHS job evaluation scheme, which is a structured method of comparing job weight in order to allocate jobs within the pay structure. It covers the diverse range of demands present in NHS posts such as the knowledge, responsibility, skills and effort required for the job, rather than their historic job title or occupational group.
	In order to assist the NHS with the job evaluation process, a number of common NHS jobs have been evaluated nationally and a process agreed by which local jobs can be matched to them where appropriate. These include a number of ambulance service jobs.
	It is anticipated that under the new pay system most front line ambulance staff will receive significant increases in take-home pay from the combination of the new pay bands and system of unsocial hours payments being introduced alongside them.
	A copy of the complete Agenda for Change" terms and conditions of service handbook, which sets out the new pay structure and additional terms, is available in the Library.

Ambulance Services

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response time to an emergency call to the Ambulance Service was in Sheffield, Hallam in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: This information is not collected centrally in the format requested. Data on response times for South Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust, which covers the Sheffield area, is shown in the tables.
	Further information can be found in the statistical bulletin, Ambulance services, England: 2004–05", which is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/36/041167.pdf.
	
		South Yorkshire
		
			  Percentage of category A calls responded to within eight minutes 
		
		
			 1997–98 (183)n/a 
			 1998–99 (183)n/a 
			 1999–2000 (183)n/a 
			 2000–01 58.8 
			 2001–02 77.2 
			 2002–03 75.3 
			 2003–04 71.8 
			 2004–05 72.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of category A calls responded to within 14 to 19 minutes 
		
		
			 1997–98 (183)n/a 
			 1998–99 (183)n/a 
			 1999–2000 (183)n/a 
			 2000–01 93.2 
			 2001–02 97.4 
			 2002–03 97.9 
			 2003–04 94.1 
			 2004–05 95.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of Category B and C calls responded to within 14 to 19 minutes 
		
		
			 1997–98 (183)n/a 
			 1998–99 (183)n/a 
			 1999–2000 (183)n/a 
			 2000–01 93.0 
			 2001–02 95.4 
			 2002–03 92.2 
			 2003–04 81.0 
			 2004–05 (184)88.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of urgent journeys with arrival time not more than 15 minutes late 
		
		
			 1997–98 93.8 
			 1998–99 81.7 
			 1999–2000 79.3 
			 2000–01 80.5 
			 2001–02 79.2 
			 2002–03 69.5 
			 2003–04 67.1 
			 2004–05 78.6 
		
	
	(183)Call prioritisation introduced April 2000.
	(184)Data for category B calls for the period October 2004 to March 2005.

Ambulance Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources she plans to provide from central budgets to support the implementation of Taking Healthcare to the Patient, Transforming NHS Ambulance Services, published on 30 June, broken down by major cost area.

Liam Byrne: It is for primary care trusts, with the support of strategic health authorities, to determine local funding priorities. The Department will support the national health service in driving efficiency gains through national procurements, outsourcing of appropriate support services, and reductions in the number of ambulance trusts and consequent savings in back-room costs. These efficiency gains will increase the resources available for front-line services. Where appropriate, work will be done at a national level to support the implementation of the review's recommendations.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when (a) she and (b) officials from her Department last met representatives of Lancashire Ambulance Trust.

Liam Byrne: My right hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State for Health (John Reid) met with Lancashire Ambulance Service Trust approximately three years ago. However, information relating to meetings with Departmental officials is not centrally available.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether ambulance trusts send 999 response times to her Department.

Liam Byrne: The statistical information submitted by ambulance trusts to the Department is set out in an annual statistical bulletin, Ambulance services, England: 2004–05", which is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/36/79/04113679.pdf. The information collected and published includes the number of 999 calls resulting in a response within eight minutes and the number resulting in a response within 14 minutes for urban services or 19 minutes for rural services.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what her policy is on answering parliamentary questions on Lancashire Ambulance Trust;
	(2)  what information she collects on the performance of Lancashire Ambulance Trust.

Liam Byrne: The Department collects information about the Lancashire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust and all other ambulance services on an annual basis via the KA34 return form. This information is published in an annual statistical bulletin, which is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/36/79/04113679.pdf.
	The only change made since November 2003 to the data collected is that, from 1 October 2004, information about category B and C emergency calls is collected separately. Prior to this date, category B and C calls were grouped together.
	In general, responses to questions from hon. and right hon. Members will include information which has been formally collected and centrally validated by the Department. Some replies will on occasions include information which will not be centrally held by the Department, but has already been put in the public domain by the NHS organisation concerned. However, where questions request information which is not collected by the Department, the hon. or right hon. Member will be directed to the relevant organisation concerned where this information will be more readily available, in line with our policy of Shifting the balance of power" to the local NHS.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often she meets chairs and chief executives of ambulance trusts; and whether response times are discussed at such meetings.

Liam Byrne: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and her ministerial team aim to visit as many national health service trusts as possible. They also meet chairs and chief executives on other occasions. Topics of discussion will depend on the purpose of the meeting or visit.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average annual salary for chairs of ambulance trusts is.

Liam Byrne: The majority of chairs of ambulance trusts receive remuneration of £17,164 per annum, although the chairs of the two largest ambulance trusts receive £19,454 per annum.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) highest and (b) lowest salary for a chief executive of an ambulance trust is; and what other expenses and benefits are typically received.

Liam Byrne: Information about the remuneration of chief executives of national health service organisations or other very senior managers is not collected centrally.
	As publicly accountable organisations, however, information on levels of remuneration and benefits of the senior management team is published in organisations' annual reports.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the Lancashire Ambulance Trust board members; and in which town or village each lives.

Liam Byrne: The board members of Lancashire Ambulance Trust are:
	Mr. D. Hill—Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria
	Mr. P .Cooney—Garstang, Preston, Lancashire
	Mr. S. Watt—Garstang, Preston, Lancashire
	Mr. A. Jude—Lytham, Lancashire
	Mr. D. Laird—Lancaster, Lancashire
	Mrs. R. R. Winterbottom—Caton, Lancashire
	Mr. M. F. Desai—Preston, Lancashire
	Mr. E .P. Fletcher—Blackburn, Lancashire
	Ms J. Kennedy—Galgate, Lancashire
	Mr. E. G .Pope—Lathom, Lancashire
	The trust has one vacancy for a non-executive director, which is currently being recruited.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what service level agreements are in place between Lancashire Ambulance Trust and Lancashire teaching hospital;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on patient involvement in the Lancashire Ambulance Trust.

Liam Byrne: This information is not available centrally and can be obtained from the Lancashire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust.

Ambulance Services

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2005, Official Report, column 1092W, on ambulances (equipment), if she will place a copy of the British Standards Institute list in the Library; what monitoring is undertaken by her Department to ensure that all ambulances carry at least the equipment on the list.

Liam Byrne: A copy of the British Standards Institute list will be placed in the Library. The Department does not monitor the equipment carried by ambulance vehicles. The Department expects ambulances to be appropriately equipped to deliver care to the patients they see, in accordance with national clinical guidelines. It is for each ambulance trust to determine how this is done.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health
	(1)  what assessment she has made of manning levels of ambulance staff in Lancashire; what requirements there are for Lancashire Ambulance Trust to collect response time data; and at what level this should be collated;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on (a) response times and (b) staff morale in Lancashire Ambulance Trust.

Liam Byrne: This information is not available centrally and can be obtained from the Lancashire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust. However, information about NHS ambulance services, including the Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, is collected on an annual basis and published in an annual statistical bulletin, Ambulance Services, England: 2004–05". This is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/36/79/04113679.pdf.

Ambulance Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she next expects to meet Lancashire ambulance trust.

Liam Byrne: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, has no meetings scheduled with Lancashire ambulance service national health service trust at this present time.

Antidepressants

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescription items of (a) benzodiazepine drugs and (b) antidepressants were dispensed in England in 2004.

Jane Kennedy: In 2004, the number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England were 29.0 million for antidepressants and 11.9 million for benzodiazepines. More detailed information is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/Publications Statistics/PublicationsStatisticsArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ ID=4107504&chk=nsvFEO

Antimicrobial Resistance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 524W, on antibiotics, what the (a) work programme and (b) sub-groups of the Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance are; and what the (i) budgets and (ii) timetables are for each.

Caroline Flint: The specialist advisory committee on antimicrobial resistance (SACAR) provides scientific advice to the Government on its antimicrobial resistance strategy. This strategy aims to minimise the morbidity and mortality due to antimicrobial resistant infection, and maintain the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents in the treatment and prevention of microbial infections in man and animals by surveillance, prudent antimicrobial use and good infection control practices.
	Currently, SACAR has six sub-groups and their main interests are shown in the table. Their work plans are kept under review so that they can take account of significant new issues.
	
		
			 Sub-group Main interest 
		
		
			 Surveillance Options for national surveillance including proposals for community meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)—autumn 2005 
			   
			 Paediatrics Prescribing trends and influence on complications—report due 2006 
			   
			 Human prescribing Analysis of prescribing data and support for prescribes, for example, conference for hospital clinical pharmacists—July 2005—and national template for antimicrobial prescribing policies 
			   
			 Public education National education campaigns—next proposal due autumn 2005 
			   
			 Professional education Development and co-ordination of new teaching materials and curricula 
			   
			 Healthcare associated infection Short-term group to produce advice on roles and responsibilities of infection control teams by end 2005 
		
	
	SACAR and its sub-groups do not have set budgets.

Aspartame

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will reassess the safety of aspartame for consumption by children and adults; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the European Food Safety Authority on aspartame; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency has discussed recently published results, from the European Ramazzini Foundation, on the safety of aspartame with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA has requested the full study report from the Ramazzini Foundation and intends to undertake an urgent assessment of the study to establish whether there are any implications for human health. The FSA will study their views very carefully and consider what, if any, action may be required. The safety of aspartame was most recently assessed by the European Commission's scientific committee on food in 2002.

Aspartame

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations the Department received from the sweetener industry and how many meetings the Department held with representatives from the sweetener industry prior to the introduction of aspartame in England; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that aspartame has been approved for use in the United Kingdom since 1982 and harmonised conditions of use for the sweetener were adopted in all European Union member states in 1995. The Department does nothold records of any representations received from the sweetener industry, or meetings held with representatives of the sweetener industry, prior to the introduction of aspartame in the UK in 1982.

Asthma

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of research into the effectiveness of buteyko breathing techniques in the treatment of asthma.

Liam Byrne: None. The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service. In the six years from 1997–98 to 2003–04, the Department's national research programmes spent £9 million on projects related to asthma.
	Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by NHS organisations. From this funding, the NHS reported spending £29.1 million in support of respiratory diseases in 2003–04.

Asthma

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what records her Department keeps of the number of patients with asthma caused by smoking.

Caroline Flint: Records of the number of patients with asthma caused by smoking are not held centrally. In the health survey for England 2001, survey participants were asked about asthma and what brought on their attacks. Of those with doctor-diagnosed asthma and who had an attack within the last five years; 22.3 per cent. of men and 21.8 per cent. of women replied that cigarette smoke—theirs or others—brought on an attack of asthma.
	About 2.6 per cent. of the adult population aged 16 and over have doctor diagnosed asthma and have had an attack within the last five years. This corresponds to a population figure of 1,000,000. This is an age-standardised estimate.
	Of these with doctor-diagnosed asthma: about 80,000 men and 140,000 women are estimated to have had an attack of asthma brought about by cigarette smoke. These are age-standardised estimates.

Audiology Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2005 to the hon. Member for Gordon (Malcolm Bruce), Official Report, column 1597W, on audiology services, when data returns on waiting times for digital hearing aids must be first submitted; who is responsible for their submission; how these returns will be assessed; when the first information on waiting times for digital hearing aids are expected to be published; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: To support the18-week target, the Department is currently piloting data collections for a number of, but not all, diagnostic tests including pure tone audiometry. Subject to successful piloting, we intend to roll out these collections to the wider NHS later this year.

Audiology Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government are taking to obtain reference costs for the provision of digital hearing aids on the NHS; when she expects these to be developed into a national tariff; when the provision of digital hearing aids will be included in payment by results; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The provision of digital hearing aids is currently excluded from annual reference costs collection; thus the costs of the entire digital hearing aids service, is excluded from the reference costs in 2005. This is the result of their accounting treatment as capitalised grouped assets.
	As long as the purchase of digital hearing aids in bulk by national health service bodies is deemed to be a capital transaction, they will remain outside the reference costs collections.

Audiology Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many students are expected to graduate from the new audiology degree courses in 2007–08; what the attrition rate from these courses has been; what impact she expects these developments to have on the availability of trained staff to fit digital hearing aids; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The BSc (Hons) in audiology has been developed by the Department, in partnership with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and the audiology professional bodies. This will help to increase the number of audiologists nationally and reduce waiting times for fittings of digital hearing aids.

Baby Units (Essex)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the hospitals in (a) Essex and (b) the Metropolitan police area of London which have a specially equipped baby unit; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Department does not collect information on the hospitals which have specially equipped baby units. The Department collects information at a trust level which shows those trusts which have neonatal intensive care cots. The Department also holds information on trusts which have beds in intensive care neonates or other general and acute neonatal and children's wards, which may include special care baby unit cots.
	The following trusts have neonatal intensive care cots.
	Essex Strategic Health Authority (SHA)
	Southend Hospital National Health Service Trust
	Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust
	The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
	North West London SHA
	The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust
	West Middlesex University NHS Trust
	St. Mary's NHS Trust
	Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust
	Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust
	North West London Hospitals NHS Trust
	North Central London SHA
	Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust
	North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
	The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust
	Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust
	University College London Hospitals NHS Trust
	Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust
	North East London SHA
	Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust
	Barts and the London NHS Trust
	Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust
	South East London SHA
	Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust
	Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust
	Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust
	Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust
	The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust
	King's College Hospital NHS Trust
	South West London SHA
	Kingston Hospital NHS Trust
	Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust
	St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust
	Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust
	The following trusts have beds in intensive care neonates or other general and acute neonatal and children wards which may include special care baby unit cots.
	Essex SHA
	Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust
	Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust
	Southend Hospital NHS Trust
	The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
	Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust
	North Central London SHA
	Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust
	Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust
	Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust
	North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust
	Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
	The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust
	University College London Hospitals NHS Trust
	North East London SHA
	Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust
	Barts and the London NHS Trust
	Newham Healthcare NHS Trust
	Newham PCT
	Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust
	North West London SHA
	Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust
	Ealing Hospital NHS Trust
	Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust
	North West London Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust
	St. Mary's NHS Trust
	The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust
	West Middlesex University NHS Trust
	South East London SHA
	Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust
	Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust
	King's College Hospital NHS Trust
	Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust
	Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust
	The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust
	South West London SHA
	Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust
	Kingston Hospital NHS Trust
	Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust
	St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust
	The Royal Marsden NHS Trust

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2005, Official Report, columns 1184–85W, on Bedford hospital NHS trust 
	(1) what financial outcome she expects following the discussions;
	(2)  what appropriate action she expects will take place following the discussions;
	(3)  what has been discussed between her officials and the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority; and if she will make minutes and records of these discussions publicly available;
	(4)  whether discussions are ongoing between her officials and the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority;
	(5)  what budget changes will take place following the discussions.

Rosie Winterton: Discussions are ongoing between Departmental officials and the strategic health authority and until these have concluded, it would be inappropriate to comment on any possible outcome.

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2005, Official Report, columns 1184–1185W, on Bedford Hospital NHS Trust, what measures the Government are putting in place to combat violent incidents against NHS staff.

Jane Kennedy: In April 2003, the national health service security management service (NHS SMS) was created and assumed policy and operational responsibility for the management of security in the national health service, including work to tackle violence against NHS staff. In November 2003 the NHS SMS introduced a comprehensive range of measures to tackle incidences of violence against NHS staff, both proactively and reactively. These included:
	New concise, consistent legally-based definitions for staff to report physical and non-physical assaults.
	A new, streamlined national reporting system for reporting and recording of physical assaults, which has the capacity to track cases from report to conclusion, allowing for intervention where necessary.
	A requirement for health bodies to nominate a security management director, a member of the executive board, to bear overall responsibility for security management work with particular responsibilities on tackling violence; representation for security management work at the executive board level is to ensure that responsibilities are taken seriously at the highest level.
	The creation of the NHS SMS legal protection unit to provide health bodies with cost effective advice on a wide range of sanctions that can be pursued, and to work with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to increase the rate of prosecutions.
	From April 2004, the largest-ever training programme in the United Kingdom for frontline NHS staff and professionals, designed to equip staff with the necessary skills to be able to identify and de-escalate potentially violent situations from occurring in the first place; from returns made by health bodies for the last financial year, 2004–05, it is estimated that around 85,000 frontline staff have received training in the new national syllabus.
	Training for the new role of local security management specialist (LSMS) began in June 2004, with the first set accredited in October 2004. LSMSs will have specialist professional skills and expertise to investigate incidents of assaults in support of the police and the CPS to ensure that sanctions are applied against alleged offenders, where appropriate. The NHS SMS plans to have a trained and accredited LSMS in place in each health body by summer 2006.

Beta Interferon (MS)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1) what discussions she has had and what reports she has received about the suitability of Beta Interferon for sufferers of multiple sclerosis;
	(2)  how many individuals were (a) awaiting and (b) receiving treatment with Beta Interferon for multiple sclerosis, broken down by health authority on the lastest date for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has undertaken a detailed appraisal of the clinical and cost effectiveness of Beta Interferon and glatiramer acetate treatments. Their guidance can be found at on the NICE website at www.nice.org.uk. However, a risk-sharing scheme was established on the recommendation of NICE to ensure the cost effective provision of these treatments on the national health service.
	We do not collect information on the number of individuals either awaiting or receiving treatment.

Bill Sponsorship

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what bills were sponsored by her Department in each session since 1979.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is a matter of public record.

Birth Rate

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to increase the birth rate in the UK.

Caroline Flint: Decisions about whether or not to have children are for individuals, not Government.

Blood Donors (Essex)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have given blood in Essex in each financial year since 2002–03.

Rosie Winterton: The numbers of blood donors in Essex are shown in the table.
	
		Essex—active donor-base and collections
		
			  Active donors(185) Collections 
		
		
			 2002–03 191,462 289,972 
			 2003–04 177,589 277,644 
			 2004–05 165,751 253,353 
		
	
	(185)At mid-year point.
	Source:
	National Blood Service, market research and analysis team.

Breast Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure that women aged 50 to 70 years do not lose their place in the three-year cycle for NHS breast screening when changing general practitioner.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 19 July 2005
	General practitioners are recommended to check the screening status of new female patients and if needed refer them to the national health service breast screening programme.
	Primary care trust databases are regularly checked to identify women who may have missed a screening round. In addition, women can, when changing GP, self-refer to the local breast screening unit.

Breast Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to make use of the internet to encourage women aged 50 to 70 to accept an invitation to attend an NHS breast screening.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The Department already uses the internet to ensure that women can make an informed choice on whether or not to be screened for breast cancer. The national health service cancer screening programme issued a regional communications pack to all local breast and cervical screening programmes in autumn 2004. The packs include advice on raising the awareness of screening, including posters, with clear links to the cancer screening programme website at www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk.
	All women now receive a national information leaflet on breast screening when they are invited. The leaflet gives details of the cancer screening programme website, together with that of NHS Direct Online.

Brook Advisory Service

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department gave to Brook Advisory Service in each of the last five years; and for what purpose.

Caroline Flint: For information on funding granted to Brook Advisory Service in the last five years, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on Tuesday 19 July 2005, Official Report, columns 1654–56W.
	The Department has provided funding for Brook to enable it to develop and be an advocate for sexual health services for young people; to support the Brook network in England to deliver such services; to encourage policy and advocacy work, involving young people; to influence the national debate regarding young people and sexual health; and to develop models of innovative practice, including ones designed to reach excluded and vulnerable young people.

Cancer Research

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what involvement her Department has in the allocation of funds to organisations and individuals involved in cancer research.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the national health service. The Department also provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the research councils and charities that takes place in the NHS.
	In April 2001 the Department established the national cancer research network (NCRN). The NCRN integrates research with cancer care. It has had a significant impact on the quality, speed and co-ordination of clinical cancer research. It has helped to ensure that patients from all parts of the country can benefit sooner from new developments in cancer care. The NCRN has more than doubled the number of patients involved in cancer research.
	The Department works closely with its cancer research funding partners through the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI). The NCRI brings together, for the first time, the major funders of research, including Government, the voluntary sector and industry, together with cancer patient representatives, to ensure a national strategic approach to identifying and supporting cancer research. The Department has been a major contributor of funds to NCRI initiatives to date.

Cancer Services

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resource funding will be made available by her Department in 2005–06 to support the running of new and replacement equipment to improve diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as referred to on page 53 of the Departmental Report 2005, paragraph 4.8.

Rosie Winterton: Revenue allocations totalling £148 billion were made to primary care trusts (PCTs) to cover the period 2003–04 to 2005–06. It is for PCTs to determine how to use the funding allocated to them tocommission services to meet the healthcare needs of their local population.
	Of that total, £42 million was made available in 2004–05 and 2005–06 to support additional equipment. However, this funding was not separately identified or ring-fenced.

Cancer Treatment

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for cancer patients to receive treatment in hospitals in the last year for which figures are available; and what the Government's target is.

Rosie Winterton: Average waiting times for the treatment of cancer patients are not collected. Cancer waiting times treatment standards of one month from urgent general practitioner referral to first cancer treatment were introduced for cases of testicular cancer, children's cancers and acute leukaemia in 2001.
	Further standards of maximum waits of 31 days from diagnosis to first cancer treatment and 62 days from urgent referral with suspected cancer to first cancer treatment were introduced for patients with breast cancer in 2001 and 2002 respectively. These 31 and 62 day standards will be in place for all cancer patients from December 2005. Performance against the current cancer waiting times targets is shown in the table and is published quarterly on the Department's website. Performance data showing progress towards the 2005 targets is also available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits/.
	
		
			   Tumour type   Standard Performance 2004–05 percentages 
		
		
			 Testicular cancer Children's cancers  Acute leukaemia 31 days from urgent  referral to treatment 88.6 93.5 86.2 
			 Breast cancer 31 days from diagnosis to treatment 97.7 
			 Breast cancer 62 days from urgent referral to treatment 96.9

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average patients requiring cardiac rehabilitation waited to be referred to each NHS hospital trust in England in the latest year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect this data centrally.

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each local authority with social care responsibilities have (i) met and (ii) not met the national minimum standard requirement for NVQ level 2.

Liam Byrne: The national minimum standards for care homes for older people and care homes for adults (18–65) state that the qualification for national vocational qualification level two should be completed by 2005. I understand from the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection that care homes have been given until 31 December 2005 to meet the standard.

Care Homes

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she plans to take to implement the recommendations of the Office of Fair Trading report on care homes.

Liam Byrne: The Office of Fair Trading published a report on care homes for older people on 18 May 2005. The report made a number of recommendations to the Government, which the Government is currently considering.

Child Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has published You're Welcome", a resource to make NHS services easier to use for children, as stated in the document, Every child matters: change for children in health services, published on 15 December 2004; and when dissemination seminars on the resource will begin.

Liam Byrne: The Department has made significant progress with the You're Welcome" standards. We are now in discussions with the Royal colleges about the standards and will be consulting more widely over summer and early autumn. We anticipate that the standards will be ready for publication by the end of the year. The training seminars will commence following publication.

Child Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants in paediatric medicine there have been in each year since 1997, broken down by medical discipline.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS): consultants within all medical paediatric specialties -- England(186)Numbers (headcount)
		
			  Paediatric surgery Paediatric cardiology Paediatrics 
		
		
			 1997 74 16 1,211 
			 1998 86 17 1,282 
			 1999 98 18 1,337 
			 2000 104 23 1,420 
			 2001 114 29 1,478 
			 2002 105 64 1,631 
			 2003 100 69 1,738 
			 2004 108 63 1,839 
			 December 2004 105 65 1,862 
		
	
	(186)All data as at 30 September, except where stated for 31 December 2004.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre medical and dental workforce census.

Childhood Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the Draper report on childhood cancer in relation to high voltage power lines; what steps she proposes to take in response to the report; what plans she has to commission further research into the subject; what discussions on the implications of the report she (a) has had and (b) plans to have with (i) ministerial colleagues, with particular reference to the Secretaries of State for Education and Skills and for Trade and Industry and the Deputy Prime Minister, (ii) relevant charities, (iii) patient groups, (iv)clinicians, (v) Ofgem, (vi) the National Grid and (vii) the electricity supply industry; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Health Protection Agency's (HPA) radiation protection division has a statutory responsibility to advise on health risks from exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). The HPA comprehensively reviewed the relevant science in 2004 and recommended not only the adoption of new guidelines on EMF exposure but also that the Government consider the need for further precautionary measures" in relation to power frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields. The HPA provided a considered response to the recent publication by Dr Draper, placing it in the context of the current knowledge of such issues. It noted that the majority of raised magnetic fields are due to variations in the electricity supply and distribution system, the presence of substations and equipment in the home rather than proximity to power lines. The HPA's response is available on its web site at
	www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press releases/2005/050603 childhood cancer voltage.htm.
	The Draper study, which was funded directly by the Department, is also being considered by the stakeholder advisor/group ELF electromagnetic fields (SAGE), which was set up in response to the HPA advice published in 2004. SAGE has been constituted in order to make practical recommendations for precautionary measures in respect of EMF exposure—available at www.rkpartnership.co.uk/sage. Information about SAGE's membership can be found on the web site. It includes charities, clinicians, the electricity industry, market regulators, specialists and public concern groups as well as officials from Government Departments.
	In addition to funding its own research programme, the Department and the Health and Safety Executive support the World Health Organization's (WHO) electromagnetic fields project. The HPA undertakes EMF research and is a WHO collaborating institution. The WHO is due to review the health risks from power frequency fields later this year.

Children's Hospices

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer of 14 June 2005, Official Report, column 146, on children's hospices, on what date she plans to publish guidance informing primary care trusts of their responsibilities with regard to children's hospices and children's palliative care.

Liam Byrne: This autumn, we will publish a good practice guide on the effective commissioning of palliative care services for children and young people that will promote choice. The guide is for primary care trusts and their commissioning partners. We will follow up publication with a series of events to bring trusts and their local authority and hospice partners together.

Chiropody

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of chiropody services in Essex.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not made an assessment of chiropody services in Essex. It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to plan, manage and deliver local health services, including chiropody, and to ensure that these meet the needs of their local population.

Chiropody

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to undertake a review of NHS chiropody services; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 July 2005
	There are no plans to undertake a review of national health service chiropody services.
	Access to chiropody is a matter for primary care trusts, which have responsibility for implementing the national standards, as identified in the national service frameworks.
	Chiropody is one of the multidisciplinary services that should be considered in the implementation of national standards.

Christie Hospital, Manchester

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of Christie Hospital, Manchester.

Liam Byrne: There is a strong future for the Christie Hospital, as part of the network delivering cancer services across Greater Manchester and beyond.

Clostridium Difficile

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on her policy for the typing of clostridium difficile 027;
	(2)  what the date was of the first typing of clostridium difficile 027 made by the Anaerobic Reference Laboratory from a sample taken in an English hospital;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1344–45W, on clostridium difficile, on what date the Anaerobe Reference Laboratory in Cardiff started to test samples for clostridium difficile 027 in respect of each hospital;
	(4)  what the average time taken by the Anaerobic Reference Laboratory in Cardiff to analyse and type samples of clostridium difficile was in the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(5)  how many samples of clostridium difficile the Anaerobic Reference Laboratory in Cardiff is able to type in an average week.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 4 July 2005
	The Anaerobe Reference Laboratory can routinely type approximately 30 isolates per week, but this could be increased if required.
	The Anaerobe Reference Laboratory has provided a typing service to hospitals in England for over 10 years. It first typed clostridium difficile 027 in January 1999 from a routine referral. However, it was not until June 2004 that this type was identified as a high toxin producer. The mandatory surveillance programme for clostridium difficile, in place since 2004, has been typing clostridium difficile to provide information on the prevalence of clostridium difficile types.
	Recent audits of referred batches for analysis to the Anaerobe Reference Library reveal a turnaround time of seven working days.

Clostridium Difficile

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of clostridium difficile 027 have been confirmed at each of the hospitals where this strain has been reported.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 12 July 2005
	A total of 106 isolates of clostridium difficile 027 have been detected by the Anaerobe Reference Library between January 1999 and Friday 15 July 2005. Most of them have come from cases of diarrhoea associated with clostridium difficile, some have come from the environment, and for some, no information was supplied.
	The isolates have come from 15 locations in England and 72 of the 106 isolates (68 per cent.) are associated with three outbreaks—at Stoke Mandeville, Exeter and Romford. Seven isolates (6 per cent.) are associated with the survey of North East region (four locations). The remaining 27 (25 per cent.) have come from eight locations. These include isolates obtained from patients and typed for clinical reasons, or as research projects, and environmental samples.
	It should not be assumed that a hospital where a case of clostridium difficile 027 has been identified has a major problem or outbreak of clostridium difficile 027.

Clostridium Difficile

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1344–45W, on clostridium difficile, how many (a) cases of clostridium difficile and (b) deaths due to clostridium difficile there were in each of the hospitals listed in each year from 2000.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 12 July 2005
	Data on cases of clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea by hospital from 2000 is not available. However, data by trust is being collected under the mandatory surveillance scheme and the first year's data will be published in August.
	In the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), deaths involving enterocolitis due to C. difficile can all be identified from the code A04.7. Enterocolitis is the commonest illness caused by C. difficile infection. For causes other than enterocolitis that are also known to be associated with C. difficile, it is not possible to identify from ICD codes alone the number of deaths where C. difficile actually contributed to the death. For this reason, the only routinely available mortality statistics on C. difficile are those where it was associated with enterocolitis. The Office for National Statistics is working with the Health Protection Agency on a special study to identify the total number of deaths where C. difficile was mentioned on the death certificate. Until this study has been completed, the number of deaths in particular hospitals will not be available centrally.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) average annual cost and (b) average cost per patient to the NHS for cognitive behavioural therapy has been over the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally by the Department.

Commission for Patient and Public Involvement

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health cost (a) to set up and (b) in each year of operation.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 11 July 2005
	In 2002–03, £3.25 million was spent on the start-up of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH). The table shows CPPIH's funding for each year it has been operational.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2003–04 30.192 
			 2004–05 33.313 
			 2005–06 31.681

Commission for Social Care Inspection

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons were for the decision to replace the National Care Standards Commission with the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Liam Byrne: The Commission for Social Care Inspection was established in place of the National Care Standards Commission and the Social Services Inspectorate to create a single social care inspectorate, providing service users with clear assurances about the safety, quality and efficiency of the services they receive; to remove overlaps between the organisations regulating social care; to strengthen and clarify the oversight of key social care services; and to assure taxpayers that public funds are being used effectively.

Commission for Social Care Inspection

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the replacement of the National Care Standards Commission by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Liam Byrne: The cost was in the region of £7.5 million over the three year period from 2002–03 to 2004–05.

Commission for Social Care Inspection

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure of the (a) National Care Standards Commission and (b) Commission for Social Care Inspection have been in each year of their operation; and what the estimated figures for (i) 2005–06 and (ii) 2006–07 are for the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Liam Byrne: The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) became fully operational on 1 April 2002 and the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) on 1 April 2004. The expenditure from April 2002 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Organisation Expenditure (£ million) 
		
		
			 2002–03 NCSC (187)119.4 
			 2003–04 NCSC (188)158.9 
			 2004–05 CSCI (189)157.8 
			 2005–06 CSCI (190)157.8 
			 2006–07 CSCI (191)— 
		
	
	(187)Including £9.9 million capital charge.
	(188)Including £14.5 million capital charge.
	(189)Including £11.3 million capital charge.
	(190)Including £10.0 million capital charge.
	(191)No estimate is currently available.

Commission for Social Care Inspection

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the full-time equivalent staff employed by the (a) National Care Standards Commission and (b) Commission for Social Care Inspection were in each year of their operation; and what the estimated figures are for (i) 2005–06 and (ii) 2006–07.

Liam Byrne: The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) became fully operational on 1 April 2002 and the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) on 1 April 2004. The number of staff employed by these organisations is shown in the table.
	
		Staffing(192)
		
			  Organisation Number 
		
		
			 2002–03 NCSC 2,225 
			 2003–04 NCSC 2,586 
			 2004–05 CSCI 2,548 
			 2005–06 CSCI (193)2,634 
		
	
	(192)Average number of whole-time equivalents.
	(193)This is an estimate, based on the assumption that CSCI will recruit to full capacity.
	No estimate of staffing is currently available for 2006–07.

Community Pharmacies

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community pharmacies in the Southend West constituency have (a) closed and (b) opened in each year since 2001–02.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of community pharmacies by constituency is not centrally collected. However, information prior to 2002 is available by health authority (HA) and from 2002 by primary care trust (PCT). Southend West constituency is currently served by Southend on Sea PCT and previously sat within the South Essex HA.
	In 2001–02, South Essex HA had a total of 141 community pharmacies. The HA comprised of the following areas:
	Billericay
	Brentwood
	Wickford
	Southend on Sea
	Thurrock
	Basildon
	Castlepoint
	Rochford
	In 2002–03 Southend on Sea PCT had a total of 36 community pharmacies. In 2003–04 the number remained at 36. Therefore, there were no new pharmacies opened and no pharmacy closures during this period.

Contaminated Blood Products (Ex-gratia Payments)

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the cost of making payments to the families of people with haemophilia who have died of hepatitis C.

Caroline Flint: It is not possible to provide an estimate on the cost of extending the hepatitis C ex-gratia payment scheme to the families of people infected with hepatitis C through national health service blood products and who have since died.

Counterfeit Medicines

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the implications of delays in adjudicating on acceptability of parallel-traded products by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for the extent of the distribution of counterfeit and improperly packaged drugs in England.

Jane Kennedy: There have been only two cases of counterfeit medicines in England in ten years and there is no evidence to suggest that either of these involved parallel-traded products. The licensing time for parallel imported medicines has reduced significantly over the last two years. However, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is not aware of any evidence that the licensing time for parallel imports is associated with the marketing of either counterfeit medicines or improperly packaged medicines.

Counterfeit Medicines

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to speed up the assessment of parallel-traded products referred by manufacturers to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Jane Kennedy: All referrals relating to parallel imports, including those from industry, are logged on receipt and reviewed by a senior member of staff. On further investigation, if remedial action is required by the parallel importer, a time scale for implementation is agreed; this depends upon the urgency of the action.
	The individual or organisation making the referral is advised of the outcome in due course.

Dacorum PCT

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) children and (b) adults in the area covered by Dacorum Primary Care Trust suffer from (i) tooth decay and (ii) gum disease; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The data available for Dacorum Primary Care Trust (PCT) relates to dental decay in five-year-olds sampled in 2003–04. This is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Dacorum PCT England 
		
		
			 Decayed teeth 1.12 1.24 
			 Decayed, missing and filled teeth 1.52 1.49 
			 Percentage with decay experience 33 38.7 
		
	
	At a national level, the latest decennial child dental health survey (2003) shows that dental decay in eight, 12 and 15-year-old children has decreased since 1983 to its lowest recorded level. 12-year-old children in England now have the best oral health of that age group in Europe.
	Data broken down by PCT on either gum disease or tooth decay in adults is not available centrally.

Defect and Failure Reporting System

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported defects there were on the defect and failure reporting system, as referred to on page 96 of the departmental report 2005, in the latest year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Between 1 January and 31 December 2004, there were 58 reported non medical, estate-related defects held on the Department's defect and failure reporting system relating to health care providers in England.
	The Department remains committed to promoting and ensuring patient safety throughout the national health service. It is vital that the NHS and the Department work closely together to ensure that all defects and failures are reported and investigated quickly and that any appropriate safety alerts are issued and promptly actioned.

Delayed Discharge

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of delayed discharge in hospitals located in the Essex health authority.

Rosie Winterton: The numbers of delayed discharges as per the SitReps (situation reports) data for June 2005 are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Organisation Number of patients occupying an acute bed whose transfer of care is delayed 
		
		
			 Essex Strategic Health Authority 277 
			 Southend Hospitals National Health Service Trust 75 
			 Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust 97 
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust 9 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 37

Dentistry

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to (a) recruit and (b) retain dentists who register new NHS patients in the constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The provisions of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 will lead to the major changes needed to achieve the most radical reform of dentistry since 1948. This will result in a more locally focussed service for individuals. Among the major changes which will improve access is a new contract for dentists, which will take effect from 1 April 2006.
	The new contract, which is based on personal dental service (PDS) pilots, will encourage a more preventive and health promotion focus. There is also a programme to recruit the equivalent of 1,000 dentists by the end of October 2005, leading to some two million individuals being able to access treatment.
	Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust (PCT), which includes the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, has been working towards converting as many practices locally to PDS. As at 31 May 2005, there were 61 dental practices in the PCT area of which 21, or 34 per cent., had open PDS contracts. Similarly, as at 31 May 2005, the PCT was providing personal dental services to 44,675 patients. The figure for 31 May 2004 was 4,226.
	The PCT has received over £316,000 in dental access funding, which has been used to support local practices to improve their premises and to expand. It is anticipated that this initiative will result in an additional 6,000 dental places.
	In addition to the PCTs efforts to increase the PDS contracts locally, it has been active in the Department's international recruitment campaign. As a result, three dentists have recently been recruited from Poland and have joined practices in the South Lakes and Barrow areas of the PCT. A dentist has also been recruited from Portugal to work in the local area. The principal dentist in Barrow has also agreed to the Barrow practice accepting patients from across the whole Morecambe Bay area. These extra recruits are expected to provide a further 5,000 dental places over the next 12 months. The PCT is also targeting dentists who live in the area but who are not known to be working in more local dental practices.
	Morecambe Bay PCT is also supporting a range of training opportunities as part of a longer-term approach to increasing numbers of clinicians working locally. This includes placements for dental students and dental therapists. During the past year, 50 final year dental students from the Liverpool dental school spent four weeks working in Morecambe Bay. Additionally, eight dental therapists have started a two-and-a-half-year course at Lancaster and a further eight are due to start in September 2005.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people who called NHS Direct about access to NHS dentistry were advised of dentists with whom they could register within locally agreed standards in the last period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: In March 2005, 99 per cent, of telephone calls to NHS Direct concerning dentistry, where complete data was supplied, were advised of dentists within locally agreed standards who could provide them with national health service treatment.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received on access to orthodontic treatment on the NHS; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected in the format requested. The Department regularly receives a number of representations on the topic of dentistry. This is not further categorised by speciality.
	From 1 April 2006, national health service orthodontic care, in general dental practice, will be provided under either general dental services contracts or personal dental services agreements. Commissioning these services locally will lead to resources targeted on those who will benefit most; improved quality of outcomes and reduced treatment times; reduced waiting times for assessment and treatment and greater efficiency in the consultant-led orthodontic services.

Dentistry

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the (a) grants and (b) loans made to NHS dental clinics in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS trust; whether conditions regarding continuing to practise with the NHS were attached to each; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: In 2001, the Department made £35 million available via the dental care development fund (DCDF) to expand local national health service dental capacity. The Department does not hold details of which dental practices received funds from the DCDF. Strategic health authorities imposed conditions on the grant: that the additional capacity was maintained, usually for three years; and that the practices in receipt of funds contributed approximately 50 per cent. of the total value of the grant.

Dentistry

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what remuneration General Dental Services (GDS) dentists will receive for following the recent guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on patient recall; and what remuneration dentists receive under the existing GDS contract in relation to the recall of patients at six-monthly intervals.

Rosie Winterton: The guidance, issued in October 2004, from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on patient recall states that patients should have dental examinations at clinically appropriate periods normally between three and 24 months.
	Under the current general dental service (CDS) dentists are paid an item of service fee for each treatment. These are set out in the Statement of Dental Remuneration, copies of which are available in the Library. Dentists should already be recalling their patients at clinically appropriate intervals. There has never been an expectation under the GDS that patients should be re-called for examinations at six-monthly periods, although a dentist will not normally be allowed to claim for more than one examination undertaken within any six-month period. Following the NICE guidance, dentists are now able to claim for more frequent examinations for those few patients where it is clinically necessary.

Dentistry

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to improve NHS dentistry in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

Rosie Winterton: Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust (PCT) received £316,600 in additional funding to improve access in 2004–05. The PCT is working to increase access through measures including international recruitment, identification of capacity in current premises and the provision of emergency out-of-hours services. The PCT has been involved in recruiting overseas dentists to the area and, over the last year, has recruited one dentist from Portugal and three from Poland.
	The PCT expects that 17,000 additional places will be provided for patients through these measures.
	As at 31 May 2005, there are 61 dental practices within the PCT area. There are 17 practices converted to personal dental service (PDS) contracts, which means that 28 per cent, of practices have been secured to provide national health service dentistry. This equates to 45,000 registered patients. It is anticipated that over the course of the next five years, 5,000 extra registration places will be available to patients through PDS practices alone.

Dentistry

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department has taken to retain NHS-contracted dentists.

Rosie Winterton: The most radical reform of national health service dentistry since 1948 is under way with Government and the NHS working hard to develop a modernised, high quality primary dental service. This reform programme is specifically designed to retain dentists within the NHS, by the development of a new contract for dentists to be introduced from 1 April 2006, based on personal dental services (PDS) pilots that encourage a more preventative and oral health promotion focus. This and the other dental reforms have been supported by an unprecedented level of Government investment, which is set to increase by over 19 per cent. over two years—2005–06 over 2003–04—resulting in an extra spend of over £250 million a year in primary care dentistry. Specific funding initiatives have included:
	£50 million distributed to primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2004–05 for practice improvements to enhance access, quality and choice for patients.
	£9 million to support the work of the NHS dentistry support team with the hardest pressed PCTs.
	£30 million to ensure that dentistry information technology is integrated with the NHS-wide systems being developed through the national programme for IT.
	£80 million capital investment over four years to support the increase of 25 per cent. in dental school undergraduate places from October 2005.
	The number of primary care dentists has increased from 16,700 in 1997 to 20,192 at the end of May 2005. They are working from some 9,000 practice addresses. Included in the 20,192 total are over 6,000 dentists who are now providing PDS in over 2,200 practice addresses. There are 210 practices, in 26 sites, which are field-testing a variety of approaches to improve the quality of patient care and dentists' working lives. Overall, dentists provided 32 million courses of NHS treatment, including 2.8 million in the PDS, in 2004–05, compared with 24.6 million in 1996–97.

Dentistry

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations have been asked to submit a full business case for establishing a new dental school; when these business cases will be evaluated; by whom; and on what date she expects a new dental school to become operational.

Rosie Winterton: A joint implementation group (JIG) made up of representatives of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Department and the national health service is managing the expansion of dental training. In May, the joint implementation group invited expressions of interest in taking additional training places from all higher education institutions and short-listed the responses in June. The successful applicants have been invited to submit a full business case by 28 September. The applications included proposals for new dental schools and the expansion of existing schools. It would not be appropriate to publish further information about the applications at this stage. The joint implementation group expects to reach its conclusions around the end of the year, when the location of the additional training places will be published.

Dentistry

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for a new dental school in the North West; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are funding 170 additional training places for dental students. A joint implementation group, made up of representatives of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Department and the national health service, is managing the expansion of dental training. The joint implementation group expects to reach its conclusions around the end of the year, when the location of the additional training places will be published.

Dentistry

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population was registered with an NHS dentist in (a) England and (b) Gloucestershire in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the percentage of the population registered with a national health service dentist in England and in Gloucestershire, where available, is shown in the table.
	The March data provided in the table for the years 1997–2005 is consistent with my response of 20 July 2005 to the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb), Official Report, column 1897W, which also gave registration rates.
	
		Estimated percentages of total population who are registered with general dental service (GDS) or personal dental service (PDS) dentists as at September 1995 and 1996 and March 1997 to 2005 -- Percentages
		
			  1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 England 56 55 53 52 49 49 
			 of which:   
			
			 Gloucestershire Family Health Services Authority 47 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Gloucestershire Health Authority n/a 44 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust n/a n/a 59 59 55 55 
			 West Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust n/a n/a 36 34 31 31 
		
	
	
		Percentage
		
			  2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 England 49 49 49 48 48 
			 of which:  
			   
			 Gloucestershire Family Health Services Authority n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Gloucestershire Health Authority n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust 52 53 53 56 57 
			 West Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust 30 30 29 25 25 
		
	
	n/a—not applicable
	Notes:
	1.Registration rates (i.e. the percentage of the population registered with a dentist) have been estimated by including registrations in the area of the dentist according to the postcode of the dental surgery (not the patient's address). So the registration rates for some areas may be affected by some patients receiving dental treatment in a different area from the one in which they live.
	2.The registration rates use population estimates for the primary care trust (PCT) areas for the nearest year for which data are available. Figures for 1997–2000 have been calculated from 2001 population data. Figures for 2004 and 2005 have been calculated from 2003 population data as this is the most up to date available.
	3.The number of registrations are based on a snapshot of the registration database taken at the end of March each year (September for 1995 and 1996) and subsequent retrospective notifications of changes to registrations have not been included.
	4.Some double counting may occur in the totals when a patient has been newly registered with a dentist in PCT A, but not yet de-registered from a dentist in PCT B.
	5.The changes in the registration period from two years to 15 months under the General Dental Services from 1 September 1996 affected the registration number from December 1997 onwards, so the 1997 figures are not comparable with later figures.
	6.Most PDS schemes that have registrations have a re-registration period in excess of fifteen months, so the figures for PDS scheme; are generally higher than they would have been for the same attendance pattern under GDS.
	7.Some PDS schemes do not have any registrations, e.g. dental access centres and their patients will not therefore be included in these figures.
	8.There are a small number of unallocated registrations.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board.

Dentistry

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average income, after operating expenses, of dentists working only for the NHS in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003 and (e) 2004.

Rosie Winterton: Information on private working of national health service dentists is not routinely available. The average annual payments between 2000–01 and 2003–04 to general dental service (GDS) dentists with a reasonable commitment to the GDS are shown in the table.
	
		Average annual GDS payments and estimated expenses for dentists with a reasonable GDS commitment(194), 2000–01 to 2003–04 -- £
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Gross income 129,100 133,900 140,000 150,000 
			 Expenses 69,900 73,400 76,700 83,300 
			 Net income 59,200 60,500 63,300 66,700 
		
	
	(194)Dentists with a reasonable commitment are defined as dentists earning at least £57,300 in fees for treatments and patient capitation in 2003–04, £55,600 in 2002–03, £53,700 in 2001–02 and £51,600 in 2000–01.
	Source:
	Department of Health analysis of Dental Practice Board payments and Inland Revenue data.
	The payment figures cover both fees for treatments and patient capitation as well as other payments such as seniority payments and commitment payments and payments for maternity and sickness.

Dentistry

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is being spent on NHS dentistry in West Kent in 2005–06; how many NHS dentists are registered as practising in the Sevenoaks constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The main element of primary care dentistry is currently the demand led general dental service (GDS), where expenditure is not predetermined by specific local allocations or budgets. Expenditure on the GDS in West Kent in 2005–06 will be dependent upon the activity levels of individual national health service dentists and the numbers and types of treatment required by NHS patients. Under the Government's dental reform programme, full local commissioning of dental services by primary care trusts (PCTs) and a new dental contract to replace the present item-of-service payment system will commence in April 2006.
	Funding levels for community and hospital dental services are already determined at local level, to be met from PCTs' individual unified budget allocations, but details of such budget plans are not collected centrally.
	As at 31 March 2005, there were 43 NHS dentists in Sevenoaks parliamentary constituency. This information was provided by the Dental Practice Board and relates to dentists whose practice address postcode is within the constituency boundary.
	In 2004–05, the Department allocated £1.53 million to the Kent and Medway Strategic Health Authority (SHA) to improve access, choice and quality in NHS dentistry. Out of this sum, South West Kent PCT received £128,147. I am advised by Kent and Medway SHA that South West Kent PCT has developed a dental action plan, setting out actions to improve access to dentistry locally and that two personal dental service practices went live in April 2005. I am also advised that the PCT has secured the potential for 5,750 additional registrations through the dental action plan to date.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost of a course of treatment at (a) a dental access centre and (b) a general dental services dentist.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the cost of a course of treatment at a dental access centre is not collected centrally.
	The average cost of an adult course of treatment with a general dental services dentist for the financial year 2004–05 was £38.55. This figure excludes continuing care, capitation entry and transition payments.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will collect whole-time equivalent figures for NHS dentists based on how much time they spend treating NHS patients; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: From next April, primary care trusts (PCTs) will be able to monitor this information under the new contractual arrangements. At present, the majority of high street dentists are independent contractors and can choose the amount of time they wish to make available for national health service patients on a flexible basis. The Department already collects this information in relation to the salaried dental service provided by PCTs.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were registered with an NHS dentist in each year since 1998 in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority and (c) each primary care trust.

Rosie Winterton: Information showing the numbers of people who were registered with a national health service dentist in each year since 1998 in England, by strategic health authority and primary care trust, has been placed in the Library.

Dentistry

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with plans for an outreach dental school for Stoke-on-Trent.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are funding 170 additional training places for dental students. A joint implementation group, made up of representatives of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Department and the national health service is managing the expansion of dental training. In May, the joint implementation group invited expressions of interest in taking additional training places from all higher education institutions and short-listed the responses in June. The successful applicants have been invited to submit a full business case by 28 September. The applications included proposals for new dental schools and the expansion of existing schools, including outreach schemes. The joint implementation group expects to reaches its conclusions around the end of the year, when the location of the additional training places will be published.

Dentistry

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Milton Keynes area she estimates are unable to register with an NHS dentist.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Dentistry

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices in the Southend West constituency have (a) closed and (b) opened in each year since 2000.

Rosie Winterton: During the period January 2000 to July 2005, two surgeries have closed. The first closed on 31 March 2001, due to the retirement of a single-handed dentist. The second closed on 17 October 2003.
	One new surgery opened on 15 September 2003. This is a practice with only general dental services (CDS) contracts. Southend-on-Sea primary care trust allocated additional access money to this practice, which was used to provide equipment. Three dentists were recruited from Ireland and the condition attached to the allocation of funds was for the practice to register 6,000 patients over a period of 15 months, which the practice has achieved.
	Of the eight practices that have remained operational throughout the period, one has moved totally from CDS to personal dental services (PDS) and another has both CDS and PDS contracts.

Dentistry

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to her Minister's letter of 7 July to hon. Members about NHS dental care, what estimate she has made of the cost of training 117 Polish dentists; what conditions are attached to their contracts; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The total value of the contract to recruit 230 dentists from Poland is £3.8 million, which includes an eight-week training programme for each dentist. The cost of recruiting the remaining 117 dentists is £2.36 million. The dentists recruited are employed on standard employment contracts, in line with United Kingdom employment law.

Dentistry

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the dental workforce shortfall on the South West peninsula; and what the shortfall is in each other area bidding for dental training facilities.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not made an assessment of the dental workforce on the South West Peninsula. The bids for dental training facilities are being considered by a joint implementation group, made up of representatives of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Department and the national health service. It would not be appropriate to publish details of the bids at this stage.
	The joint implementation group expects to reach its conclusions around the end of the year, when the location of the additional training places will be published. The Department's dental support team has been working closely with the South West Peninsula Strategic Health Authority on dentistry issues and 18 international dentists have been recruited as a result of the Department's international recruitment initiative. Another 18 international dentists have been recruited by the primary care trusts across Devon and Cornwall.

Dentistry

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many practising dentists are taking NHS patients in each constituency.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested, giving figures as at 31 March 2005, has been placed in the Library.

Dentistry

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average retention rate of NHS dentists within the NHS was in each of the past 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: Average retention rate data is not readily available. The table shows the percentages of all dentists with contracts at 31 December each year who have left during that year. However, these figures include dentists who leave for a variety of reasons, including retirement and career breaks/maternity leave.
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1997 5.5 
			 1998 5.5 
			 1999 6.0 
			 2000 6.6 
			 2001 6.6 
			 2002 6.9 
			 2003 6.4 
			 2004 5.3

Dentistry

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of NHS dentists to population was in (a) Wellingborough constituency, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) England in the last year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Number of national health service dentists and rate per 10,000 population as at 31 March 2005
		
			   Number of dentists Ratio of dentists per 10,000 population 
		
		
			 Wellingborough constituency 39 (195)— 
			 Northamptonshire county 224 3.5 
			 Daventry and South Northamptonshire  primary care trust (POT) 22 2.1 
			 Northamptonshire Heartlands PCT 100 3.6 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and  Rutland strategic health authority 549 3.6 
			 England 20,088 4.0 
		
	
	(195)population data is not available at parliamentary constituency area.
	Notes:
	1.The figures are based on the numbers of dentists with open general dental service (GDS) or personal dental service (PDS) contracts.
	2.Dentists include principals, assistants and trainees.
	3.Prison contracts have been excluded.
	4.The figures provide a snapshot of the number of individual dentists with an open contract at 31 March 2005 and includes modifications up to 5 July 2005.
	5.The areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the specified area.
	6.Areas have been defined using the Office of National Statistics all fields postcode directory—November 2004.
	7.A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT.
	8.The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board

Dentistry

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there were in Wellingborough constituency in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004; and how many of these dentists (i) admitted new adult patients to their list and (ii) treated NHS patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years.

Rosie Winterton: There were 34 national health service dentists in Wellingborough constituency on 31 March 1997, compared to 37 on 31 March 2004. An analysis of dental practices taking on new patients in May 2004 found that 12 out of 41 dental practices in Northamptonshire Heartlands Primary Care Trust accepted new adult patients. Comparable data for 1997 are not available centrally.
	In 1997, all 34 dentists who had an open contract in the Wellingborough constituency area were paid for at least one adult item-of-service claim form during the year ending 31 March 1997. In 2004, 34 out of 37 dentists with an open contract were paid for at least one adult item-of-service claim form during the year ending 31 March 2004.

Dentistry

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether all six and seven-year-olds have access to dental services, including fissure sealing, in all primary care trust areas; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Children are exempt from dental charges and, notwithstanding the problems the Department is addressing with access to national health service dentistry, their parents/carers are generally able to register them with a NHS dentist. It is for individual general dental practitioners to decide if fissure sealing is appropriate, having regard to the oral health needs of their patients.

Dentistry

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the total cost to the NHS of uncollected dental patient charges in each year since 1997–98.

Rosie Winterton: Uncollected dental charges are a matter for individual dentists, who are and will remain responsible for the collection of national health service dental charges. Regulation 12 of the draft National Health Service (Dental Charges) Regulations 2006, published for consultation on 7 July 2005, provides for a reduction in the remuneration of the dentist by the amount of the charge payable under the 2006 Regulations (paragraph 4.39 of the consultation document).
	Information is not collected centrally on the amount of uncollected dental charges.

Dentistry

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the likelihood of private dentists pricing their services at rates which would enable them to undercut a banded system of NHS dental patient charges.

Rosie Winterton: Very few dentists work on a purely private basis. Most provide a mixture of national health service and private services. Under the proposed banded system of dental charges, patients are entitled to a range of dental treatments within any charge band. For example, a patient requiring an examination, x-ray, scale and polish and oral hygiene advice would pay a single band one charge. If a patient also required fillings they would pay a single band two charge, which would include the cost of the band one treatments.
	Private dentists may, of course, choose to reduce their prices to the new level of NHS charge, in which case the patient would be able to choose whether they had NHS or private treatment. If, in these circumstances, the dentist provided the treatment privately, they would still be required to provide an agreed number of NHS courses of treatment, weighted to reflect complexity.
	Dentists will continue to be required by their contract to provide NHS patients with any necessary treatment under the NHS.

Dentistry

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS registered dentists there have been in the Essex Health Authority area in each year since 2001.

Rosie Winterton: The numbers of national health service dentists within the Essex Strategic Health Authority area as at 31 March of each year are shown in the table.
	
		NHS dentists
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2001 585 
			 2002 568 
			 2003 561 
			 2004 589 
			 2005 621 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Figures give the numbers of individual dentists with open general dental service (GDS) or personal dental service (PDS) contracts as at 31 March for each year. The dentists include principals, assistants and trainees.
	2.The postcode of the dental practice was used to allocate dentists to specific geographic areas.
	3.Parliamentary constituency areas have been defined using the Office for National Statistics all fields postcode directory—November 2004.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board.

Dentistry

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists accepted new NHS patients in London in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally but I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 1078W.

Dentistry

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her letter dated 7 July 2005 to hon. Members about changes to NHS dental care and treatment, what changes she expects in Portsmouth within (a) 12 months and (b) three years; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The proposed changes to national health service dentistry, as announced on 7 July 2005, would create a new system for the residents of Portsmouth, as for the rest of the country, which would reduce the maximum cost of NHS dental treatment by more than half while maintaining the existing exemptions for children under 18, new mothers and those on income related benefits. These exemptions cover 25 per cent, of all adult treatments provided by the NHS. They would move from 400 individual charges to three price bands, thereby creating a simpler pricing structure and ensure that patients know how much they are being charged and what treatment they will receive for their money on the NHS.
	In Portsmouth, primary care trusts (PCTs) are already working to make the best use of our initiatives such as the personal dental services (PDS) initiative. For example, within Portsmouth city teaching PCT, four practices have moved over to a PDS contract since December 2004. These four practices have secured access to NHS dentistry for 30,645 patients, which is an increase of 6,557 patients.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written statement of 7 July 2005, Official Report, columns 15–17WS, on NHS dentistry reforms, how many dentists have yet to switch to the Personal Dental Service Contract; and what estimate her Department has made of the number likely not to proceed to the General Dental Services Contract.

Rosie Winterton: Over 6,000 dentists—30 per cent. of all dentists—are already operating under pilot personal dental service arrangements.
	While dentists are independent contractors, they are expected to be attracted by the new contractual arrangements for national health service work from 1 April 2006.

Departmental Briefing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will arrange a Tuesday morning briefing by Ministers and senior officials introducing the work of the Department to new hon. Members.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the replygiven by my right hon. Friend, the Leader of the House (Mr. Hoon), on 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1281W.

Departmental Change Programme

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the Equality Impact Assessment on the restructuring elements of the Departmental Change Programme, as referred to on page 31 of her Department's Annual Report.

Jane Kennedy: Copies have been placed in the Library.

Departmental Expenditure

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure by her Department was on (a) hospital services, (b) doctors' surgeries and (c) dental services in each year since 1997 in Houghton and Washington East constituency.

Liam Byrne: The information is not held centrally in the format requested. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for securing health services to meet the needs of their local population. In the current financial year, Sunderland Teaching PCT is receiving a resource allocation of £347.6 million. This will increase to £449 million in 2007–08.

Departmental Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2005, Official Report, column 1145W, on research and development, whether she plans to increase her Department's total expenditure on research and development as a proportion of total net Department of Health spending to 1.5 per cent.

Jane Kennedy: The Government's objective is to increase overall levels of research and development in the economy to 2.5 per cent, of gross domestic product by 2014. The scale of the Department's research and development programme, and plans for real terms growth in expenditure, are described in chapter 8 of the Government's science and innovation investment framework, which was published in July 2004. The framework document is available in the Library, and can be found on Her Majesty's Treasury's website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spending_review/spending_ sr04/associated_documents/spending_sr04_science.cfm.

Departmental Purchasing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the companies from which her Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each company.

Jane Kennedy: Information on recipients of departmental payments of over £1 million, for the years 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 has been placed in the Library. This information includes amounts paid to bodies for grants and funding.
	The value of payments to individual suppliers has been banded to protect commercial confidentiality.

Departmental Surveys

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) subject matter and (b) dates were of opinion survey research undertaken by the Department and its agencies in the last 12 months; if she will place copies of the results of each survey in the Library; which companies were used in conducting the research; and how much each was paid.

Jane Kennedy: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Diabetes

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people with diabetes were screened for retinopathy on the NHS in each of the last five years in each primary care trust in England.

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of people identified as having diabetes in England were offered screening for the early detection of diabetic retinopathy in each year since 2002–03.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested for the years 2003–04 and 2004–05 has been placed in the Library. Figures for previous years are not held centrally.

Diabetes

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been made available by her Department to ensure that primary care trusts in (a) England, (b) Greater London and (c) Southwark meet the diabetic retinopathy screening target of 80 per cent. by March 2006 and 100 per cent. by December 2007.

Rosie Winterton: The diabetes national service framework (NSF) delivery strategy announced that capital funds would be available to support the purchase of digital cameras and related equipment for diabetic retinopathy screening to support implementation of the planning and performance framework target. The specified information on funding is not available in the format requested. However, for England, capital funding of £27 million is available for the three years to March 2006. £14.6 million capital has been made available to strategic health authorities (SHAs) to distribute locally (£5 million in 2003–04 and £9.6 million in 2004–05) and £12.4 million will be available in 2005–06. Allocations to London SHAs are shown in the table.
	
		£
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 North Central London SHA 187,000 359,000 464,000 
			 North East London SHA 190,000 364,000 470,000 
			 North West London SHA 212,000 406,000 525,000 
			 South East London SHA 190,000 365,000 471,000 
			 South West London SHA 126,000 242,000 312,000 
		
	
	In terms of revenue, the diabetes NSF has been fully costed and funding to deliver the national and locally-determined targets has been included in primary care trust initial resource limits.

Diagnostic Scans

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 342W, on Alliance Medical Ltd, what the revenue costs are.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 12 July 2005
	This information is not collected centrally.

Disabled Children (Day Care)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the provision of day care for disabled children in East Sussex since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department's correspondence handling system currently only holds electronic records dating back to January 2003, in line with our records and retention schedule which has been agreed with the national archive. Since then the department has received and responded to 1,921 official correspondence cases relating to East Sussex, of which 21 referred to Special Educational Needs policy and/or disabled children and young people. Further information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The Department has consulted nationally on the recent Government 10 year childcare strategy Choice for Parents, the best start for children" which was launched in December 2004. The strategy gives local authorities a strong steer on the inclusion of disabled children to ensure that they plan and provide services that are accessible to all. The strategy guidance also requires them to consult the parents of disabled children and the voluntary sector when developing childcare services to ensure that provision fully meets local needs.

Disabled Children (Day Care)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available for the provision of day care for disabled children in East Sussex since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	Since the National Childcare Strategy commenced, funding of some £15,136,765 has been allocated to East Sussex between 1999 and 2006 to create, sustain and support all early years and childcare provision, including daycare for disabled children. This allocation includes funding of £603,637 for children with special needs. Until April 2005 this funding was ringfenced within the General Sure Start Grant.

Doctors

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the impact of changes introduced under Modernising Medical Careers" on the availability of doctors' training posts.

Liam Byrne: Under Modernising Medical Careers", new foundation programmes will be introduced from August this year. There has been no impact on the number of foundation year 1, pre-registration house officer places available, which continue to rise as the number of medical graduates in the United Kingdom rises. We remain committed to providing enough training places to deliver the high quality services patients need and expect.

Doctors/Dentists (Remuneration)

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to address recommendation 2.65 in the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' remuneration, Cmd 6463, published in February, on the provision of additional funding for primary care trusts to meet increased costs arising from the impact on community hospitals of the new General Medical Services contract.

Liam Byrne: Earlier this year, the Department accepted recommendations made by the NHS Confederation in its report, Pay and Terms and Conditions for Non-Consultant Career Grade Doctors and Doctors Working in Community Hospitals", that local commissioners should determine the most appropriate model for contracting for services in community hospitals, and should negotiate the level of remuneration locally. The action necessary to respond to the review body's recommendation will be decided once more information is available.

Domicilary Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 11 July 2005, Official Report, column 721W, on domicilary care, how many of those agencies registered were registered with conditions attached; and what the most common conditions were.

Liam Byrne: The conditions for registration of a domiciliary care agency are set out in The Commission for Social Care Inspection (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) Regulations 2004 and the Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations 2002.
	In addition, section 12 (b) of the Care Standards Act 2000 states that an application for registration must give any other information which the registration authority reasonably requires the applicant to give.
	I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that this information is not currently held centrally. However, CSCI's area offices have access to this information locally.

Drug Treatment Rehabilitation (Devon/Cornwall)

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps her Department is taking to ensure that there are adequate places available for patients needing (a) residential and (b) in-patient specialist drug treatment rehabilitation in Devon and Cornwall;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of how many additional (a) residential and (b) inpatient specialist drug treatment rehabilitation places are needed to meet demand in Devon and Cornwall.

Caroline Flint: The Department has not made a formal assessment of the number of additional residential and in-patient specialist places needed to meet demand in Devon and Cornwall. However, the National Treatment Agency (NTA) has recently undertaken a national needs assessment for tier four services—residential rehabilitation and in-patient treatment—and a summary of the report was published in June 2004.
	It is the responsibility of primary care trusts, working with local drug action teams, to ensure that the provision of drug rehabilitation services meets the needs of the local community.
	Following the NTA's national needs assessment, local needs assessments templates are currently being developed by the NTA, with the final local needs assessments being completed in 2006.
	I understand that drug and alcohol action teams in the South West Peninsula have formed a partnership to take forward work on the local needs assessment for in-patient services. A working group has been established to plan the next steps and develop locally existing services.
	In 2005–06, the Department will be making available, through the pooled drug treatment budget allocations, £2,635,000 for Devon and £2,388,000 for Cornwall. These are increases of 12.10 per cent. and 18.09 per cent. respectively.

Drug Treatment Rehabilitation (Devon/Cornwall)

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for patients wanting to gain access to (a) residential and (b) in-patient specialist drug treatment in Devon and Cornwall.

Caroline Flint: Information on waiting times for drug rehabilitation places is published by the National Treatment Agency on a quarterly basis. In March 2005, the average waiting times for residential rehabilitation and in-patient treatment in Devon and Cornwall were as shown in the table.
	
		Weeks
		
			 Drug and alcohol action team (DAAT)  Waiting time for in-patient treatment Waiting time for residential rehabilitation 
		
		
			 Devon 3.4 (196)n/a 
			 Cornwall (197)n/a 2.5 
			 Torbay 16.5 3.0 
			 Plymouth 7.0 1.0 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(196)The report of not available for Devon residential rehabilitation is due to the fact that no placements were made in quarter four of 2004–05 with Devon DAAT.
	(197)In-patient treatment in Cornwall is reported as not available because there is no patient provision in Cornwall. All clients are referred out-of-county.

Drug Treatment Rehabilitation (Devon/Cornwall)

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) residential and (b) in-patient specialist drug treatment rehabilitation places are available in Devon and Cornwall.

Caroline Flint: Information on the number of residential and in-patient specialist drug treatment rehabilitation places is as follows.
	The National Treatment Agency's (NTA) online directory of residential services shows 195 beds in nine residential services in Devon, including Plymouth and Torbay. The 195 beds for rehabilitation services that are quoted refer to beds within the national health service, private or voluntary sectors. It is important to note that if a service chooses not to register with the NTA online directory, their beds will not be included in this figure. The directory does not show services listed in the directory based in Cornwall. The NTA regional team is working with Cornwall Drug Action Team to improve drug and alcohol action teams' reporting on residential rehabilitation services.
	The NTA advises that the number of in-patient specialist drug treatment rehabilitation places in Devon and Cornwall are as follows:
	Devon has four designated substance misuse beds in Exeter and two beds in Barnstaple.
	Torbay has two beds, one of which is dedicated.
	Plymouth has four dedicated substance misuse beds.
	Cornwall has no dedicated in-patient beds for substance misuse and all in-patient provision for drug misuse is provided out-of-county.

DVT

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of patients who suffered deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as a result of being fitted with a plaster cast in each of the last five years; and what discussion she has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on advice about DVT for people fitted with plaster casts.

Jane Kennedy: No estimate has been made of the number of patients who suffered deep vein thrombosis as result of being fitted with a plaster cast in each of the last five years.
	A National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline on the prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery and other high risk surgical procedures is due to be published by May 2007.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the Government's response to the Health Committee Report on the Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Hospitalised Patients. Copies are available in the Library.

E111 Form

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will require airlines flying to EU countries to notify their customers of the changes to the E111 form through (a) their websites and (b) other means; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: A partnership company has been employed to work with a number of key stakeholders, including airlines, to promote the changes to the E111. Promotional material has been sent to all stakeholders, which they are able to use to inform customers of the changes. Further work is being done with key stakeholders to help them inform their customers of the changes to the E111.

E111 Form

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health conditions and treatments are covered by the E111 scheme.

Rosie Winterton: Ellls cover all treatment which becomes medically necessary during a temporary visit to another European Union member state or Switzerland. Treatments are provided on the same basis as to host states' own insured persons.

E111 Form

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding her Department has received under the E111 scheme since 1995, broken down by (a) year and (b) country.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows, in resource terms, the estimated costs of treatment provided by the national health service to persons insured in other european economic area (EEA) member states under the terms of Regulations (EEC) 1408/71 and 574/72, and which the United Kingdom has reclaimed from the states concerned. These are claims made under Article93 of Regulation 574/72. This includes treatment provided to temporary visitors with form E111, which constitutes the majority of the costs shown.
	
		Estimated actual costs claims against other EEA member states -- £000(198)
		
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Austria 212 242 247 210 284 
			 Belgium 959 884 1,336 2,160 1,919 
			 Denmark (199)— (199)— (199)— (199)— (199)— 
			 Finland (199)— (199)— (199)— (199)— (199)— 
			 France 1,981 2,173 2,063 2,348 2,648 
			 Germany (199)— (199)— (199)— (199)— (199)— 
			 Greece 264 230 247 239 243 
			 Iceland 59 31 10 8 9 
			 Ireland 3,995 4,154 4,538 6,036 6,268 
			 Italy 403 814 794 2,674 933 
			 Liechtenstein 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Luxembourg (199)— (199)— (199)— (199)— (199)— 
			 Netherlands 471 542 694 600 647 
			 Norway 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Portugal 115 123 0 137 55 
			 Spain 979 922 880 1,013 998 
			 Sweden 676 928 602 615 530 
		
	
	(198)Claims against United Kingdom are made in national currency and converted into sterling by using the quarterly mean exchange rates published by the European Commission.
	(199)Waiver—means that the UK and the other member state concerned have each agreed to bear the costs of treatment of each other's insured people.
	Notes:
	1.Figures are based on latest available information and used for resource accounting and budgeting purpose.
	2.Figures are in thousands and rounded to the nearest thousand.

E111 Form

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding her Department has paid under the E111 scheme to overseas governments since 1995, broken down by year and country.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows, in resource terms, the estimated cost of treatment provided to United Kingdom residents by other european economic area (EEA) member states under the terms of Regulations (EEC) 1408/71 and 574/72. Actual treatment costs under Article 93 of Regulation 574/72 apply both to medically necessary care (E111) and to patients referred specifically for treatment (E112) as well as to some other categories of persons covered. Member states are not required to distinguish by specific E forms in making cost reimbursement claims, but the majority of the costs shown in the table relate to the E111 scheme.
	
		Estimated actual costs claims against the UK from EEA member states -- £000(200)
		
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Austria 1,117 1,173 1,104 983 1,119 
			 Belgium 809 819 1,141 1,821 1,621 
			 Denmark (201)— (201)— (201)— (201)— (201)— 
			 Finland (201)— (201)— (201)— (201)— (201)— 
			 France 12,856 9,995 10,972 12,120 15,581 
			 Germany (201)— (201)— (201)— (201)— 674 
			 Greece 81 128 159 75 63 
			 Iceland 23 56 73 35 41 
			 Ireland 4,988 5,672 5,822 5,441 3,357 
			 Italy 758 1,382 1,233 2,928 1,911 
			 Liechtenstein n/a 1 0 0 0 
			 Luxembourg (201)— (201)— (201)— (201)— (201)— 
			 Netherlands 1,020 1,461 1,626 1,629 1,637 
			 Norway 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Portugal 1 1 3 0 1 
			 Spain 4,424 5,343 5,524 5,709 7,478 
			 Sweden 401 265 332 427 643 
		
	
	(200)Claims against the UK are made in national currency and converted in to sterling by using the quarterly mean exchange rates published by the European Commission.
	(201)Waiver—means that the UK and the other member state concerned have each agreed to bear the costs of treatment each other's insured people.
	Notes:
	1.Figures are based on latest available information and used for resource accounting and budgeting purpose.
	2.Figures are in thousands and rounded to the nearest thousand.

E111 Form

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each NHS trust has spent on treating overseas nationals under the E111 scheme in each year since 1995.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available.

E111 Form

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate her Department has made of the number of British citizens who possess E111 forms issued after 19 August 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Between 19 August 2004 and 30 June 2005, approximately 10.3 million El11s were issued to United Kingdom residents.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1503W, on electroconvulsive therapy, when her Department will repeat its survey of electroconvulsive therapy.

Rosie Winterton: There are no plans to conduct a further survey on electroconvulsive therapy. In future, information on the use of electroconvulsive therapy will be available from the mental health minimum dataset.

End-of-life Issues

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthpursuant to her reply of 14 July 2005, Official Report, column 1188W, on end–of-life decision making, if she will list the stakeholders who have made representations to her Department on end-of-life issues during each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has received an estimated 870 letters and emails from the public and organisations over the last five years on end-of-life issues, expressing a wide range of views and opinions.

Equality and Diversity

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Department has spent promoting equality and diversity in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The Department is fully committed to the equality and diversity agenda and has policies and processes in place to ensure that there is no unfair discrimination on any grounds. The equality and human rights group, formerly the equality strategy group, was established in 2002 to develop policy and support and promote equality and diversity within the Department and the national health service. It had a central programme budget of £1.3 million in 2002–03, £1.1 million in 2003–04 and £1.12 million in 2004–05. A major focus of the group's work is to support action that builds equality and diversity into the design and delivery of all health and social care programmes and into the capacity of the health and social care workforce to provide individually appropriate services. The promotion of equality and diversity has therefore become an integral component within many wider policy initiatives, such that it is not possible to disaggregate spending.

EU Health Ministers Meeting

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost of the informal meeting of EU Health Ministers in Watford in October was.

Rosie Winterton: A final cost cannot be given at present as the event takes place on 20 and 21 October this year and planning is not yet complete.

European Health Insurance Card Scheme

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reciprocal financial arrangements her Department and her overseas counterparts will be putting in place under the European health insurance card scheme.

Jane Kennedy: The European health insurance card (EHIC) scheme, like the E111 arrangements which it will replace, has its origins in Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72, which provide that member states shall pay each other for treatments given to each other's insured persons. Regulation 574 specifies how this shall be done, but member states may bilaterally agree to other mutually acceptable methods of payment. These arrangements already apply in respect of E111 and will also apply to the EHIC.

EU Services Directive

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the EU Directive on Services in the Internal Market on UK regulation of privately-owned care homes where they are owned by an entity based in another EU member state.

Rosie Winterton: Negotiations on the draft directive on services in the internal market are at an early stage. Until the text is finalised, it is difficult to assess its precise effects on particular sectors.
	A number of general impact assessments are available. The Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) has performed a partial regulatory impact assessment for the proposal, which indicates that the general benefits are likely to be substantial. This is available on the DTI website at:
	www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics2/pdf2/servicesria.pdf.
	An independent consultancy, Copenhagen Economics, has also assessed the general economic impact of the directive. It predicted that the services directive would add £25 billion to the European Union economy, create an extra 600,000 jobs, boost EU gross domestic product by 0.6 percent. and lead to an increase in real wages of 0.4 percent. Copies of both documents are available in the Library.
	In addition to these general impact assessments, the Department has held informal consultations and taken the views of relevant parties concerning the possible impact of the services directive on social care providers. No economic analysis has been carried out to date.

EU Services Directive

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of the EU Directive on Services in the Internal Market on the national health service.

Rosie Winterton: Negotiations on the draft Directive on Services in the Internal Market are at an early stage. Until the text is finalised, it is difficult to assess its precise effects on particular sectors.
	A number of general impact assessments are available. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has performed a partial regulatory impact assessment for the proposal, which indicates that the general benefits are likely to be substantial. This is available on the DTI website at:
	www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics2/pdf2/servicesria.pdf.
	An independent consultancy, Copenhagen Economics, has also assessed the general economic impact of the Directive. It predicted that the Services Directive would add £25 billion to the European Union economy, create an extra 600,000 jobs, boost EU gross domestic product by 0.6 percent., and lead to an increase in real wages of 0.4 percent. Copies of both documents are available in the Library.
	In addition to these general impact assessments, the Department has held informal consultations and taken the views of relevant parties concerning the possible impact of the Services Directive on the national health service. No economic analysis has been carried out to date. The United Kingdom position is to seek an exclusion for publicly-funded healthcare from the scope of the Directive, plus a derogation for all healthcare from the country-of-origin principle and the deletion of Article 23 on the assumption of healthcare costs.

Fair Trade

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts purchase fair trade products; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Department does not hold centrally information on which national health service trusts are using fair trade products and individual trusts may be purchasing products locally.
	However, the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) is committed to purchasing fairly-traded food and beverages. A fairly-traded policy has been published, with a number of products available on national frameworks to all trusts. PASA will be looking to expand the range of products available.
	Ethically traded products are not just from the fair trade brand; they are also obtained from suppliers who have their own procedures for sourcing this type of product, for example, the Tea Sourcing Partnership.

Folic Acid

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to receive the report from the Scientific Advisory Committee on nutrition regarding the fortification of foods with folic acid as a preventative measure in respect of neural tube defects.

Caroline Flint: I expect to see the Scientific Advisory Committee on nutrition's report on folate and health later this year.

Food Supplements

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance she proposes to provide to the UK food supplements industry following the recent ruling of the European Court of Justice on the Food Supplements Directive; if she will make representations for the reopening of the text of the directive; and how she intends to take forward the commitments given to the meeting of hon. Members organised by the hon. Member for Bolton South East on 6 July.

Caroline Flint: In May 2005, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) provided additional resource to assist the industry in producing dossiers to ensure that as many substances could continue to be used in food supplements after 1 August. The FSA has forwarded all dossiers received from industry to the European Commission and has given derogation to all substances submitted in dossiers, including dossiers where only very basic information has been provided.
	The validity of the Food Supplements Directive was upheld by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Following the ECJ judgement, I have spoken with the European Commission regarding the potential for further derogation to be provided by the directive and will discuss this again when the Commission has considered the judgment in detail.

Food Supplements

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued on the application of the Food Supplements Directive to (a) synthetically-produced nutrients and (b) naturally-occurring nutrients; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 21 July 2005
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published general guidance on the Food Supplements Directive. This is available on the FSA web site at http://www.food.gov. uk/foodindustry/vitmin/
	The FSA has not yet published any specific guidance on the application of the food supplements directive regarding synthetically produced nutrients and naturally occurring nutrients. The FSA has advised me that both forms of nutrients fall within the scope of the directive. The guidance will be updated following the final judgment from the European Court of Justice on 12 July to clarify any areas of uncertainty arising from the judgment, and in discussion with the European Commission.

Food Supplements

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether she expects nutrients contained in food supplements which are not listed in the annexes of the Food Supplements Directive to be banned on 31 December 2009;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the number of nutrient ingredients in food supplements on sale which have not had a dossier on their safety submitted to the Food Standards Agency and which are not included on positive lists in the annexes to the Food Supplements Directive;
	(3)  what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission on the setting of maximum dosage levels for food supplements under the Food Supplements Directive; and when restrictions on maximum dosage levels will come into force;
	(4)  what support she has provided to industry and small businesses to enable them to supply the evidence necessary to ensure that their products remain on the market after the Food Supplements Directive comes into force on 1 August.

Caroline Flint: The European Commission Food Supplements Directive contains lists of vitamins and minerals permitted for use in food supplements. For those not listed in the annexes of the Directive, dossiers of safety information need to be submitted for assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). If EFSA is unable to issue a positive opinion on the safety of the substance in question, then these will not be permitted in food supplements. EFSA has until 2009 to complete its assessment of dossiers.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has received over 500 dossiers and the industry has confirmed that this includes the majority of substances used in food supplements. Discussions between the FSA and the industry have not identified further ingredients which will not be covered by the dossiers.
	The directive includes provisions for setting maximum permitted levels of vitamins and minerals in due course. The European Commission has yet to bring forward proposals on this and until it does so there are no restrictions on levels used in food supplements. I spoke with the European Commission on this matter on 12 July.
	The FSA has provided £20,000 to the food supplements industry to pay an independent consultant employed by the industry to collate the information necessary for submitting dossiers. This funding was matched by the industry.

Food Supplements

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the EU food supplements directive does not impact negatively on people (a) who use minerals and vitamins in connection with sport and (b) who use minerals and vitamins as a way of tackling chronic fatigue syndrome; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has granted derogation to all substances that have been supported by a dossier. These dossiers have been forwarded to the Commission and will be assessed for safety by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The FSA has allowed basic information to be submitted in dossiers in order to maximise the number of substances which remain available for use in products pending advice from EFSA. This has resulted in the submission of over 500 dossiers and the trade manufacturers associations have confirmed that the list of substances for which derogation has been given include the majority of substances used by the supplements industry. This should therefore include those vitamins and minerals that may be used by some people in connection with sport and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Foster Care

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money a foster family in London has received for each child fostered in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The National Minimum Standards require that each foster carer receives an allowance and agreed expenses to cover the full cost of caring for each child placed with him or her. Local authorities determine their own payment systems and information about the payments which they make to foster carers is not collected centrally. However, we are working with key stakeholders—including local authorities—to develop proposals for a national minimum allowance for foster carers in order to improve the consistency and transparency of payments.

Foundation Trusts

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the total cost is of the diagnostic programmes to prepare NHS trusts for authorisation as foundation trusts being run in the (a) Cheshire and Merseyside and (b) Birmingham and the Black Country strategic health authorities;
	(2)  what payments have been made to McKinsey and Company for their involvement in the diagnostic programme to prepare NHS trusts for authorisation as foundation trusts;
	(3)  what the estimated cost is of the diagnostic programme to prepare NHS trusts for foundation status when it is rolled out to the whole NHS;
	(4)  how many companies were invited to bid for a role in the diagnostic programme to prepare NHS trusts for foundation status; and which companies submitted bids.

Liam Byrne: The Department has asked Monitor, the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of National Health Service Foundation Trusts, to:
	Develop analysis tools to assist strategic health authorities (SHAs) and acute trusts to identify issues that need to be addressed in order that trusts may apply for foundation trust status.
	Conduct pilot schemes for these analysis tools in Cheshire and Merseyside and Birmingham and the Black Country SHAs, with the support of external consultants.
	The cost of this additional work, which will contribute to improved financial management in the NHS, is £1.5 million and the Department has provided funding to Monitor for this amount. I am informed by the chairman of Monitor that the funding has been allocated to McKinsey and Company as part of an extension to an existing contract awarded under an European Union-compliant procurement exercise.
	Rollout of the diagnostic programme across the NHS will be subject to an evaluation of the pilots. In the event of a national roll out, the Department will consider the levels of support for acute trusts required from NHS organisations and external consultants. Any new contracts to support the national roll out of this programme will adhere to procurement procedures, which are fully compliant with tendering procedures set out by the Office of Government Commerce.

Foundation Trusts

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances, and under what criteria, one foundation trust can take over another.

Liam Byrne: The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 establishes a bespoke insolvency and dissolution regime for national health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs), which is based on insolvency rules for companies but with specific modifications applied to safeguard staff and assets required to deliver essential NHS services.
	The Act gives Monitor, the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS foundation trusts, powers of intervention if a NHSFT is significantly breaching, or has significantly breached its terms of authorisation or any enactment. In most cases, intervention should avert the failure of an NHSFT for financial reasons. However if an NHSFT does fail financially and Monitor considers that the essential NHS services of the NHSFT are at risk, then it may recommend that the NHSFT is dissolved.
	The Secretary of State is able to dissolve a NHSFT in certain specified circumstances, based on a judgement by Monitor that further exercise of its statutory powers will not secure the provision of the essential NHS services that the body is required to provide under its terms of authorisation. Under such circumstances, the Secretary of State would have the power to transfer the assets, rights and liabilities of the NHSFT to another health service body, which may include another NHSFT, or to herself. It is our intention to lay secondary legislation detailing the failure regime later this year. Section 27 of the Act also sets out the circumstances under which an NHSFT might merge with another.

Foundation Trusts

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members each foundation trust had at the last count.

Liam Byrne: This is a matter for Monitor, the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of national health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs). The chairman of Monitor has provided the following table, which shows the membership statistics for each of the 32 existing NHSFTs at 31 March 2005.
	
		Individual memberships of NHSFTs
		
			 NHSFT Total membership 
		
		
			 Authorised 1 April 2004  
			 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals 10,062 
			 Bradford Teaching Hospitals 3,485 
			 Countess of Chester Hospital 3,611 
			 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals 7,378 
			 Homerton University Hospital 4,544 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital 11,436 
			 Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals 8,685 
			 Royal Devon and Exeter 15,184 
			 Stockport 11,535 
			 The Royal Marsden 2,397 
			   
			 Authorised 1 July 2004  
			 Cambridge University Hospitals 22,397 
			 City Hospitals Sunderland 6,973 
			 Derby Hospitals 9,647 
			 Gloucestershire Hospitals 15,203 
			 Guy's and St. Thomas' 13,490 
			 Papworth Hospital 8,156 
			 Queen Victoria Hospital 12,838 
			 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals 6,505 
			 University College London Hospitals 8,592 
			 University Hospital Birmingham 96,406 
			   
			 Authorised 1 January 2005  
			 Barnsley Hospital 12,508 
			 Chesterfield Royal Hospital 9,799 
			 Gateshead Health 9,121 
			 Harrogate and District 10,478 
			 South Tyneside 4,526 
			   
			 Authorised 1 April 2005  
			 Frimley Park Hospital 5,841 
			 Heart of England 48,141 
			 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals 9,394 
			 Liverpool Women's 10,074 
			 The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases 4,535 
			 The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals 13,302 
			   
			 Authorised 1 June 2005  
			 The Rotherham 5,373 
			 Total 421,616

Fraud

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much fraud within the NHS in England has been detected in each of the last eight years; if she will estimate the outstanding amount of fraud within the NHS, broken down by (a) strategic health authority and (b) type of fraud; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the form requested.
	The National Health Service Counter Fraud Service and Security Management Service (CFSMS) was established in 1998 and has policy and operational responsibility for countering fraud and corruption within the NHS.
	The amount of fraud detected and stopped in each year since 1998 is shown in the table. These figures indicate the increased effort that has taken place to identify and stop fraud, allowing more resources to be spent on patient care and services.
	
		Value of fraud and unlawful action identified and stopped -- £
		
			  Amount Running total 
		
		
			 1998–98 39,612 39,612 
			 1999–2000 2,679,222 2,718,834 
			 2000–01 4,097,625 6,816,459 
			 2001–02 11,656,954 18,473,413 
			 2002–03 39,917,591 58,391,004 
			 2003–04 37,548,468 95,939,472 
			 2004–05 79,401,696 175,341,168 
		
	
	The CFSMS carries out risk measurement exercises to estimate the scale of losses to fraud in different areas of spending in the NHS accurately. The analysis of each exercise is to a precision level of better than plus or minus 1 per cent.
	An estimate of the outstanding amount of fraud in all areas of NHS spending is not yet available. Details of measurement exercises carried out to date and of all other counter fraud work between 1999 and 2005 are shown in the CFSMS performance statistics, published on 13 July. These show an overall financial benefit of counter fraud work to the NHS of £675 million, against a budgetary investment of £52 million. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Free Fruit

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of the free fruit for schools scheme was in each year of its operation.

Caroline Flint: The lottery provided £16 million towards the original pilots of the national school fruit scheme between 2000 and 2002. Lottery funding also provided £42 million to support scaling-up of the original pilots across five Government regions between 2002 and 2004.
	The Department spent £0.75 million in 2001–02 and £0.3 million in 2002–03 on administering and evaluating the national school fruit scheme pilots.
	The national rollout, to all local education authority infant, primary and special schools across England, of the scheme was completed at the end of 2004. In the year 2004–05, the Department spent £28.5 million on the scheme.
	From April 2005, the Department has fully funded the school fruit and vegetable scheme and has committed £43.5 million to fund it in 2005–06.

GM Crops

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the published and peer-reviewed scientific studies on the safety of GM (a) food and (b) crops that have been evaluated by (i) her Department and (ii) other Government bodies; and whether each concluded that (A) there are no harmful effects and (B) there is evidence of actual or potential harm from consumption of GM crops and foods.

Caroline Flint: The list of studies requested by the hon. Member is not available centrally. The safety of genetically modified (GM) crops and derived materials intended for food use is evaluated on a case by case basis and involves the scrutiny of a range of data relevant to each genetically modified organism (GMO). Information on evaluations conducted in the United Kingdom is available via the websites of the relevant expert advisory committees, the Advisory Committee on Novel Food and Processes and the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment. GM crops and derived products are only authorised if they are shown not to present a risk to the consumer, to animals and, where a viable GMO is concerned, to the environment.

General Practitioners

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average income, after operating expenses, of general practitioners working only for the NHS in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003 and (e) 2004.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Amount (£) 
		
		
			 2000–01 54,219 
			 2001–02 56,510 
			 2002–03 61,618 
			 2003–04 67,040

General Practitioners

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there were in the Essex Health Authority area in (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05.

Rosie Winterton: The numbers of general practitioners in the Essex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area for the years specified are shown in the table.
	
		General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(202) for Essex SHA, 2002–04
		
			 Q03 Essex SHA Number (headcount) 
		
		
			  2002 803 
			  2003 866 
			  2004 915 
			  December 2004 932 
		
	
	(202)General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes contracted GPs, general medical service (GMS) others and personal medical service (PMS) others. Prior to September 2004, this group included GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
	Note:
	Data as at 30 September 2002–04 and 31 December 2004.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre GMS and PMS statistics.

General Practitioners

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1504W, on GP appointments, what the total number of patients was in May.

Liam Byrne: The survey in May covered practices serving 52,739,334 patients.

General Practitioners

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people (a) requested and (b) received an appointment to see a GP within 48 hours in the Welwyn Hatfield Primary Care Trust in the last period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Department commissions a monthly survey by the national health service of the availability of appointments at each practice within each primary care trust. It does not, however, collect information on the total number of appointments which are available or their take-up by patients.

General Practitioners

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people (a) requested and (b) received an appointment to see a general practitioner within 48 hours in the Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust in the last period for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Department commissions a monthly survey by the national health service of the availability of appointments at each practice within each primary care trust. It does not, however, collect information on the total number of appointments which are available or their take-up by patients.

General Practitioners

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent GPs are working in the Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust area.

Caroline Flint: The number of full-time equivalent general practitioners working in the Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust area is shown in the table.
	
		General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(203)for Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT, as at 31 December 2004 -- Estimated full time equivalents
		
			 PCT General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(203) 
		
		
			 5CM Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley 110 
		
	
	(203)General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes contracted GPs, general medical service (GMS) others and personal medical service (PMS) others.
	Notes:
	1.Full time equivalent (fte) data have been estimated using the results from the 1992–93 GMP work load survey.
	2.For 1994–2003, contracted GPs, full time = 1.00 fte; three quarter time = 0.69 fte; job share = 0.65 fte; half time = 0.60 fte. For other GP types, full time = 1.00 fte; part time = 0.6 fte.
	3.For 2004, all GPs, full time = 1.0 fte; part time = 0.6 fte and therefore may not be fully comparable with previous years.
	Source:
	National Health Service Health and Social Care Information Centre GMS and PMS statistics.

General Practitioners

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in the Wellingborough constituency have not been able to register directly with a doctor's surgery and have had to register centrally since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Data on the number of patients unable to register with a general practice is not collected or held centrally by the Department. However, since April 2005 the Department has collected monthly information on the numbers of patients assigned by primary care trusts (PCTs) to practices. This shows that, to date, no patients have been assigned by Northamptonshire Heartlands PCT.

Head Injuries (Essex)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with head injuries resulting from (a) cycling, (b) skateboarding and (c) rollerblading accidents have been admitted to each hospital in Essex in the last year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the number of admitted care episodes for head injuries in Essex in 2003–04, which were as a result of cycling. The Department does not collect information on the numbers of admitted care episodes for head injuries resulting from skateboarding and rollerblading accidents.
	
		Counts of finished admission episodes. Primary diagnosis Injuries to the Head" (ICD-10= SOO-S09 ) and cause code Pedal Cyclist Injured in Transport Accident" (ICD-10= V10-V19). Strategic health authority of treatment—Essex. National health service hospitals, England 2003–04
		
			   Finished admission episodes 
		
		
			 RAJ Southend Hospital NHS Trust 9 
			 ROD Basildon and Thurrock University  Hospitals NHS Trust 18 
			 RDE Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust 13 
			 RQ8 Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust 21 
			 RQW The Princess Alexandra Hospital  NHS Trust 7 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2.The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	3.The cause code is a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects.
	4.Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data is ungrossed).
	Source:
	HES, Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Health Bodies (Funding)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget of (a) the Pharmaceutical Pricing Agency and (b) the Health Protection Agency (i) were in each of the last two financial years and (ii) is in the 2005–06 financial year in (A) cash and (B) real terms.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 14 July 2005
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		£ million
		
			  Prescription Pricing Authority Health Protection Agency 
		
		
			 2003–04 actual   
			 Cash terms 67.100 104.671 
			 Real terms 70.215 109.529 
			
			 2004–05 outturn   
			 Cash terms 74.800 125.265 
			 Real terms 76.671 128.398 
			
			 2005–06 budget   
			 Cash terms 72.800 143.440 
			 Real terms 72.800 143.440 
		
	
	Note:
	Annual budget figures are total operating costs (revenue and capital). Real terms figures have been derived using the gross domestic product deflator, with 2005–06 as the base year.

Health Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2005, Official Report, column 1135W, on health care (Merton), what issues are under consideration; and what the timetable is.

Jane Kennedy: The grounds on which the London borough of Merton's overview and scrutiny committee has referred decisions taken by local national health service bodies to the Secretary of State are set out in its letter of 21 March 2005. This letter has been placed in the Library. The matter is still being considered and a decision will be taken as soon as possible.

Health Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2005, reference 7222, on health care acquired infections, if she will set out for (a) England, (b) each region, (c) each strategic health authority and (d) each NHS trust the occurrences of (i) glycopeptie resistent enterococci, (ii) orthopaedic surgical site infections and (iii) serious untoward incidents for each quarter since mandatory reporting commenced.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 18 July 2005
	Although the data requested is not currently available, information from the mandatory surveillance system will be available later this year. This data is likely to be published annually and the format has yet to be agreed. The expected publication dates are August for glycopeptide resistant enterococci and autumn for orthopaedic surgical site infections. The Health Protection Agency is currently analysing data on serious untoward incidents associated with infection.

Health Care

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of demand over the next five years for (a) in-patient and (b) respite and day care provision for palliative care; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts are responsible within the national health service for commissioning and funding services for their resident population, including palliative care, having taken account of local needs and priorities. The National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC), supported by the cancer action team and the Department, has published Population-Based Needs Assessment for Palliative Care: A Manual for Cancer Networks". Networks can use the manual to assess the need for core component specialist palliative care services, including in-patient care, community care, day care and hospital support.
	The NCPC is presently revising the manual to cover patients with conditions other than cancer. This will enable commissioners to gain a greater appreciation of the palliative care needs of their resident population.

Health Foods

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information a food manufacturer will need to provide on health claims to gain authorisation under the proposed EU regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods (2003/0165 COM); who will decide whether a health claim is approved; whether it will be possible to appeal if claims are not approved; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The proposed Regulation is intended to protect consumers from misleading claims and facilitate the free movement of foods within the European Union. It will require health claims to be substantiated.
	Under the proposal, a health claim based on generally accepted scientific data would not need to go through the full authorisation process. Instead, member states will have one year to submit to the European Commission a list of health claims, accompanied by references to relevant scientific justification. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will contact organisations and other interested parties about the process of drawing up a list of such claims. On receipt of the national lists, the Commission will consult the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before drawing up a Community list of permitted claims. This is to be subject to a vote in the Commission's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.
	Health claims which cannot be supported by generally accepted scientific data and all disease risk reduction claims will require specific authorisation. The user of such a claim will be required to submit a range of information, as outlined in the proposed Regulation, which will be assessed by EFSA. The proposed Regulation also requires EFSA to produce detailed guidance to assist applicants. This is expected to cover the type and quantity of information applicants will be required to produce. EFSA will have six months to review this information and to provide an opinion on the acceptability of the claim. The proposed Regulation provides for the EFSA opinion to be published and for comments to be made to the Commission by the applicant within 30 days.
	Within three months of receiving the opinion, the Commission will submit a draft decision to be adopted after a vote in the Standing Committee.

Health Foods

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what definition under the proposed EU regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods (2003/0165 COM) her Department will use in relation to (a) generally accepted scientific data and (b) the average consumer; whether those definitions have been agreed at EU level; whether any part of the negotiations has taken place without these definitions; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency intends to consult with the European Commission, member states and other interested parties on the interpretation of the terms generally accepted scientific data" and the average consumer" in the context of this proposal. There are currently no agreed definitions for these terms and a consistent approach is needed.
	The proposed Regulation gives a brief explanation of the concept of the average consumer. It points out that there is not a statistical test and national courts and authorities will have to exercise their own faculty of judgment, having regard to the case law of the European Court of Justice as necessary.

Health Trainers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health trainers have been appointed; what training they receive; what the estimated annual cost of a health trainer is; what management structure will be developed to oversee health trainers; and if she will make a statement.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, 
	(1) what consultation was undertaken with (a) healthcare professionals, (b) commercial organisations and (c) patient organisations on the provision of health trainers prior to developing job descriptions for such trainers;
	(2)  what specific training will be given to trainers to enable them to develop the necessary skills for dealing with complex health issues and their underlyingpsychological factors; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Members to the written ministerial statement I made on 20 July 2005, Official Report, columns 92–94WS. A wide range of organisations, including those representing healthcare professionals, commercial organisations and patient organisations participated in the consultation for the White Paper, Choosing Health", which announced the policy to introduce health trainers.

Healthy Eating

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what action the Government (a) are taking and (b) plans to take in each of the next five years to encourage people to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption;
	(2)  what action the Government (a) are taking and (b) plan to take in each of the next five years to increase awareness of the health benefits of fruit and vegetables in preventing cancer.

Caroline Flint: The Government encourages the increased consumption and awareness of the importance of eating more fruit and vegetables through a number of initiatives and programmes. These include the five-a-day programme, which combines a range of community, advertising and media initiatives, and the school fruit and vegetable scheme, which provides nearly two million children aged four to six with a free piece of fruit or vegetable every school day. In November 2005, we expect to start phase one of the healthy start scheme, which will also encourage fruit and vegetable consumption among pre-school age children.
	Choosing a Better Diet: a food and health action plan", published on 9 March 2005, set out the Government's strategy to improve people's health through improved diet and nutrition. The strategy includes actions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and awareness of the health benefits of eating more fruit and vegetables. A copy is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/10/57/13/04105713.pdf.

Hepatitis B

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health
	(1)  whether her Department has adopted the World Health Organisation 1992 recommendation that all countries adopt a universal vaccination for hepatitis B;
	(2)  what plans she has for changing the hepatitis B vaccination regime.

Caroline Flint: The Department has not implemented the World Health Organisation recommendation about universal immunisation against hepatitis B. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is currently reviewing the United Kingdom's hepatitis B immunisation programme to assess whether it needs to be altered.

Hepatitis B

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will issue warnings about the possible risks of contracting hepatitis B associated with international travel.

Caroline Flint: Health advice for travellers abroad, including about hepatitis B, is provided on the Department's website at http://www.dh.gov.uk/Policy AndGuidance/HealthAdviceForTravellers/General HealthAdvice/Diseases/DiseasesArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ ID=4080299&chk=7pc2C2.
	We have also produced a booklet, Health advice for travellers", which is available free of charge from post office outlets and provides advice about hepatitis B in the context of international travel. Further details about the booklet is available on the Department's website at http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/Health AdviceForTravellers/fs/en.
	In addition, the Department has funded the national travel health network and centre (NaTHNaC), which provides up to date advice for health professionals and travellers. This includes advice about hepatitis B, which is available from the NaTHNaC website at http://www.nathnac.org/travel/factsheets/hep_b_vaccine.htm.

Hepatitis C

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is taking to encourage patients with hepatitis C to complete their self-administered courses of treatment to achieve viral clearance.

Caroline Flint: The Department's hepatitis C awareness campaign provides advice and information about hepatitis C, including its treatment. The campaign includes patient leaflets, a national health service hepatitis C awareness website, a freephone hepatitis C information line and regional hepatitis C awareness events.
	We are also providing grant funding to voluntary sector organisations that provide information, advice and support to individuals with hepatitis C.
	The care of individual patients is a matter for their clinician and health care team.

Hepatitis C

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to improve the convenience and comfort of administration of treatment for hepatitis C.

Caroline Flint: In line with Shifting the Balance of Power", most national health service funding is now passed on to NHS organisations so that they can make decisions about provision of local services.
	The configuration of services for providing treatment for hepatitis C, including any outreach services, is therefore a matter for local determination. Treatment usually consists of a weekly injection and daily tablets and many patients can be taught to self-inject.

Hepatitis C

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of future levels of hepatitis C infection if rates of identification and treatment of the disease remain unchanged.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The Department has funded the Health Protection Agency, working with the Medical Research Council's biostatistics unit at Cambridge, to provide estimates of future levels of hepatitis C infection and of hepatitis C-related liver disease.
	The results of this on-going study will be submitted soon to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

Hepatitis C

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 20 June, Official Report, column 794W, on hepatitis C, how the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendation that people with mild disease should remain under observation is being implemented for those individuals who have not received an initial diagnosis.

Caroline Flint: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on chronic hepatitis C infection can only apply to those who have been diagnosed.
	The Department's hepatitis C awareness campaign aims to increase the number of patients being diagnosed so that they can be referred for specialist assessment.

Herbal Medicinal Products

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when Ministers of her Department next expect to meet representatives of herbal product manufacturers todiscuss the costs associated with the implementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the impact on business of the way that the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive is being interpreted and implemented.

Jane Kennedy: Our current assessment of the impact on business of the European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products is set out in the updated partial regulatory impact assessment included with the public consultation document MLX 325. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has given the industry extensive help in preparing for the Directive, for example, via early website guidance, workshops, individual company meetings and dialogue with the herbal manufacturing industry's herbal forum. The MHRA has also advised the herbal forum on the possibilities for industry to make a reasoned case to the relevant European scientific committee, the Herbal Medicinal Products Committee, if it sees a need for further elaboration or adjustment of the European guidelines on herbal medicinal products.

Herbal Medicinal Products

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the implications for consumer safety of the potential for growth in internet and mail order sales of herbal products.

Jane Kennedy: In most cases, it is not currently possible for consumers to tell which herbal medicines are made to acceptable standards of safety, quality and patient information, irrespective of the means by which they are sold. While unlicensed herbal medicines purchased over the internet and by mail order may be of variable standards, many of the unsafe unlicensed medicines found on the United Kingdom market by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have been sold or supplied in clinics or other retail outlets. Following the European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products, the introduction of a registration scheme for traditional herbal medicines, alongside licensed herbal medicines, should progressively allow consumers to make an informed choice from a wider range of herbal medicines made to assured standards.

Herbal Medicinal Products

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will base the product release specification of compound herbal products under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive upon thin layer chromatography linked to standard patterns; and if she will meet with industry representatives to discuss this matter;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of whether the guidelines on quality and stability for herbal medicinal products are appropriate for multi-component traditional herbal products.

Jane Kennedy: European guidelines concerning the quality and stability of herbal medicinal products have been in place since 1988. These guidelines were updated and amended in agreement between member states and the industry from 1998 to 2001 and the final version came into operation in January 2002.
	Many herbal medicinal products contain a number of active substances and the guidelines recognise that in such cases it may not be possible to measure the individual active substances. It is for the applicant to establish suitable methodologies for control of their product and to present these in the application dossier.
	In the case of products to be registered under the Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products, we anticipate that many will be multi-component and that ensuring reproducibility of the products will be challenging.

Hip Replacements

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many (a) men and (b) women who had a hip replacement operation required a further operation due to the failure of the first hip replacement in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many hip replacement operations were unsuccessful in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and how many people were permanently disabled as a result of the failure of the operation in each year;
	(3)  how many hip replacement operations have resulted in the patient becoming disabled in the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: This information is not collected centrally in the form requested. Figures are available for the number of hip revisions undertaken over the past five years on the national clinical health and outcomes knowledge base website at http://www.nchod.nhs.uk. These figures do not differentiate between those operations which were necessary due to an unsuccessful hip replacement operation and those revisions required for other medical reasons.

Hospice Funding

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public funding was made available to (a) Hospice in the Weald and (b) Demelza House Children's hospice in 2004–05; and how much will be made available in 2005–06.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not routinely collect the data requested on national health service funding for adult hospices such as Hospice in the Weald and children's hospices such as Demelza House.

Hospital Appointments (Non-attendance)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-attendances there were for (a) in-patient appointments and (b) out-patient appointments in (i) Essex and (ii) the Metropolitan Police area of London in each of the last three years, broken down by primary care trust.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what consultations take place before appointments are made to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what the criteria are by which members of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority are appointed;
	(3)  what the duration is of the membership of each member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Caroline Flint: Candidates seeking appointment as members of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) are expected to be able to demonstrate that they will be able to discharge their duties in accordance with the seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. Additionally, they will be expected to have expertise in an area that the HFEA needs in order to fully discharge its duties. The particular expertise sought at any given time will depend largely on that provided by existing members and that lost by outgoing members. It may be, for example, expertise in financial management, or assisted reproduction law, or patient involvement or embryology, depending on the circumstances.
	The chair of the HFEA consults the Department on the expertise needed in new members. References are sought for all candidates to be interviewed for appointment. Ministers also seek the views of their colleagues in the devolved administrations before making an appointment.
	Paragraph 5(2) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 states that a person shall not be appointed as a member of the HFEA for more than three years at a time. In accordance with the code of practice of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, members are permitted to serve a second three year term if their performance has been satisfactory and their area of expertise is still needed on the HFEA board. Members may serve on the board for a maximum of ten years, but to be appointed for a third term they must enter an open competition for appointment on the same basis as new candidates. A list of current members and their duration of appointment is shown in the table.
	From this year, appointments to the HFEA will be made by the NHS Appointments Commission.
	
		HFEA members—July 2005
		
			 Name Expertise Date of first appointment Date current appointment ends 
		
		
			 Ms Suzi Leather (Chair) Regulation 6 March 2002 31 March 2008 
			 Prof. Tom Baldwin (Deputy Chair) Philosophy 26 February 2001 6 November 2006 
			 Ms Sara Nathan Media 7 November 1998 6 November 2005 
			 Ms Sharmila Nebhrajani Management, accountant and media 7 November 1998 6 November 2005 
			 Ms Clare Brown Patient 2 December 2002 1 December 2005 
			 Prof. Neva Haites Clinical genetics 2 December 2002 1 December 2005 
			 Prof. Emily Jackson Health Care and Law 1 June 2003 30 November 2005 
			 Dr Maybeth Jamieson Embryology 2 December 2002 1 December 2005 
			 Mr Walter Merricks Finance and patient 2 December 2002 1 December 2005 
			 Prof. David Barlow Clinical 10 December 1997 6 November 2006 
			 Mr Ivor Brecker Management and Dentistry 10 May 2001 6 November 2006 
			 Prof. lain Cameron Clinical 26 February 2001 6 November 2006 
			 Bishop Richard Harries Bishop of Oxford 6 November 2003 6 November 2006 
			 Ms Jennifer Hunt Counsellor 6 November 2003 6 November 2006 
			 Sir Simon Jenkins Media 10 May 2001 6 November 2006 
			 Prof. Christopher Barratt Andrologist 15 January 2002 6 November 2007 
			 Mr Hossam Abdalla Clinical 1 October 2004 30 November 2007 
			 Baroness Helene Hayman Human tissue regulation 1 April 2005 31 March 2008

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the publications produced by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority since its inception.

Caroline Flint: The Department does not hold a list of publications by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). A list of all available publications can be found on the HFEA's website at www.hfea.gov.uk.

Independent Sector Treatment Centres

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of (a) doctors and (b) nurses were employed by the NHS (i) six to 12 months, (ii) 13 to 18 months and (iii) 19 to 24 months prior to being employed by independent sector treatment centres with contracts with the NHS.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The information requested is not centrally available.

Influenza Pandemic Plan

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will publish an updated version of the Influenza Pandemic Plan.

Caroline Flint: The United Kingdom influenza pandemic contingency plan was published in March 2005 and is currently being updated in light of comments received. The revised plan will be published in the autumn.

Intensive Care Treatment

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses on average in (a) Southend, (b) Essex and (c) the Metropolitan police area of London, staffed an intensive care bed for (i) adults, (ii) children and (iii)new born or premature babies in the latest period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

IVF Treatment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, columns 221–22W, on IVF treatment, which primary care trusts have not implemented the advice to offer a minimum of one cycle of IVF by April to those who meet the clinical criteria.

Caroline Flint: The Department does not collect information centrally on the number of in vitro fertilisation" (IVF) treatments provided by each primary care trust. The primary responsibility for the implementation of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines rests with the national health service at local level and compliance with NICE guidance by NHS organisations will be considered by the Healthcare Commission during its review and assessment processes.

Kettering General Hospital (Cancelled Operations)

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled at Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust within (a) seven days and (b) 24 hours of the appointment time in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested. However, information relating to the number of cancellations either on, or after the day that the patient was due to be admitted is shown in the table.
	
		Cancelled operations for non-clinical reasons—Kettering General Hospital National Health Service Trust
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997–98(204) n/a 
			 2001–02 371 
			 2002–03 478 
			 2003–04 494 
			 2004–05 454 
		
	
	(204)Data was collected by health authority only prior to 2001–02. Trust level data was collected from 2001–02 onwards.
	Notes:
	1.A last minute cancellation is one that occurs on the day the patient was due to arrive, after they have arrived in hospital or on the day of their operation. For example, a patient is to be admitted to hospital on a Monday for an operation scheduled for the following day (Tuesday). If the hospital cancels his/her operation for non-clinical reasons on the Monday, then this would count as a last minute cancellation. This includes patients who have not actually arrived in hospital and have been telephoned at home prior to their arrival.
	2.An operation which is rescheduled to a time within 24 hours of the original scheduled operation should be recorded as a postponement and not as a cancellation. The QMCO collection does not record the number of postponements.
	3.Some common non-clinical reasons for cancellations by the hospital include: ward beds unavailable; surgeon unavailable; emergency case needing theatre; theatre list over-ran; equipment failure; admin error; anaesthetist unavailable; theatre staff unavailable; and critical care bed unavailable.
	Source:
	Department of Health dataset QMNG/QMCO.

Kidney Dialysis

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received about the provision of kidney dialysis in South London.

Jane Kennedy: I have received no such representations.

Kidney Dialysis

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have used the kidney dialysis unit in Chorley since it opened.

Liam Byrne: This is a matter for the Chair of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust. I have written to the chairman, Mr. Dennis Benson, informing him of my hon. Friend's inquiry.

Lancashire Health Expenditure

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much of total health service expenditure in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years was spent directly on (a) healthcare, (b) administration and (c) prescriptions;
	(2)  what the budget for Government funded healthcare was in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	The figures are shown for the periods 1996–97 to 2003–04; the earliest and latest available. It is not possible to provide expenditure figures for the county of Lancashire as this does not correspond to any specific strategic health authority (SHA). They are taken from the audited summarisation schedules or accounts of the relevant primary care trusts (PCTs) and health authorities (HAs) within the current Cumbria and Lancashire SHA area.
	Data shown is prescribing costs' which is the total cost relating to prescribing by general practitioners within the PCT area, from the unified budget.
	
		Expenditure by Cumbria and Lancashire SHA and by PCTs and HAs within the current Cumbria and Lancashire SHA area -- £000
		
			  1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 
		
		
			 Total expenditure 1,210,576 1,181,556 1,309,216 1,567,565 
			 Healthcare 1,184,587 1,157,113 1,238,595 1,433,482 
			 Administration 23,053 24,367 28,289 51,162 
			 Prescriptions 88,943 99,793 98,004 214,750 
		
	
	
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Total expenditure 1,717,872 1,961,985 2,337,249 2,421,861 
			 Healthcare 1,494,013 1,489,118 1,674,350 1,876,654 
			 Administration 38,492 66,582 n/a 122,268 
			 Prescriptions 231,275 254,314 284,882 309,631 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.'Healthcare" is the total commissioning of primary and secondary healthcare accounted for by the HAs and PCTs.
	2.'Administration" includes an analysis of the costs of administrative staff and certain managers in the relevant PCTs and HAs. Figures for 2002–03 are not available.
	3.'Prescriptions' is the total cost relating to prescribing within the areas accounted for by the HAs and PCTs.
	4.Expenditure is taken from audited HA summarisation forms and PCT summarisation schedules, which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from cash allocations in the year. The figures have not been adjusted for inflation.
	5.Figures for 1996–97 to 2001–02 have been prepared using gross expenditure figures. Figures for 2002–03 and 2003–04 have been adjusted to eliminate expenditure which would be double counted where an authority acts as a lead in commissioning healthcare or other services.
	Sources:
	1.Audited accounts of HAs, 1996–97 to 1998–99.
	2.Audited summarisation forms of HAs, 1999–2000 to 2001–02.
	3.Audited summarisation schedules of PCTs, 2000–01 to 2003–04.
	4.Audited summarisation forms of Cumbria and Lancashire SHA, 2002–03 and 2003–04.

Lancashire Health Expenditure

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health
	(1)  what the financial surplus or deficit recorded by each primary care trust in Lancashire was for 2004–05;
	(2)  what the financial surplus or deficit recorded by each NHS trust in Lancashire was for 2004–05.

Liam Byrne: This information is not yet available.

Lancashire Health Expenditure

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the funding per capita was for each primary care trust in Lancashire for 2004–05.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Primary care trust Per capita funding 2004–05 (£000) 
		
		
			 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale 1,089 
			 Chorley and South Ribble 894 
			 Fylde 1,018 
			 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 1,017 
			 Morecambe Bay 1,030 
			 Preston 1,141 
			 West Lancashire 991 
			 Wyre 1,024

Lancashire Health Expenditure

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was spent on prescriptions by eachprimary care trust in Lancashire in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The information is not available in the requested format. However, data for 2000–01 to 2003–04 are shown in the table. Primary care trusts (PCTs) were not in existence prior to 2000–01 and 2003–04 is the latest year for which figures are available.
	Figures are taken from the audited summarisation schedules (accounts) of the relevant PCTs. Relevant PCTs are taken as being those within the current Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area.
	Data shown is prescribing costs", which is the total cost relating to prescribing by general practitioners within the PCT area, from the unified budget.
	
		Expenditure by PCTs in the Cumbria and Lancashire SHA area on prescribing costs -- £000
		
			 PCT 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Blackburn with Darwen  PCT 8,574 18,969 21,105 22,899 
			 Blackpool PCT n/a n/a 24,452 26,307 
			 Burnley, Pendle and  Rossendale PCT n/a n/a 36,504 39,754 
			 Carlisle and District PCT n/a 13,842 16,088 17,917 
			 Chorley and South Ribble  PCT n/a 24,169 27,925 30,675 
			 Eden Valley PCT n/a 8,049 9,400 10,277 
			 Fylde PCT n/a n/a 11,796 12,651 
			 Hyndburn and Ribble  Valley PCT n/a n/a 16,637 18,015 
			 Morecambe Bay PCT n/a 40,896 45,551 48,946 
			 Preston PCT n/a n/a 19,705 21,879 
			 West Cumbria PCT n/a 17,708 20,298 22,424 
			 West Lancashire PCT n/a 12,834 14,120 15,545 
			 Wyre PCT n/a n/a 21,301 22,342 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.'Prescribing costs' is the total cost relating to prescribing by GPs within the area accounted for by the PCT.
	2.'n/a' indicates that a PCT was not in existence in that year.
	Sources:
	Audited summarisation schedules of the above PCTs 2000–01 to 2003–04.

Lancashire Health Expenditure

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting list figures were for cancer care in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		Number of patients with an urgent referral for suspected cancer received from general practitioner within 24 hours, by waiting time from referral to out-patients appointment, for hospitals in Cumbria and Lancashire strategic health authority (all cancers) -- Number waiting 14 days or less
		
			 Reporting period  RMR Blackpool Victoria hospital NHS trust RML Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde community health services NHS trust RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre hospitals NHS trust REU Burnley healthcare NHS trust RMB Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley health care NHS trust RXR East Lancashire hospitals NHS trust 
		
		
			 2001–02 Q1 457 165 n/a 220 235 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q2 740 177 n/a 207 217 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q3 689 158 n/a 252 223 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q4 803 149 n/a 262 229 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q1 n/a n/a 1046 333 216 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q2 n/a n/a 1082 300 244 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q3 n/a n/a 1154 344 260 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q4 n/a n/a 1084 317 246 n/a 
			 2003–04 Q1 n/a n/a 1187 n/a n/a 587 
			 2003–04 Q2 n/a n/a 1267 n/a n/a 628 
			 2003–04 Q3 n/a n/a 1217 n/a n/a 688 
			 2003–04 Q4 n/a n/a 460 n/a n/a 672 
			 2004–05 Q1 n/a n/a 1158 n/a n/a 682 
			 2004–05 Q2 n/a n/a 1174 n/a n/a 690 
			 2004–05 Q3 n/a n/a 1173 n/a n/a 53 
			 2004–05 Q4 n/a n/a 1163 n/a n/a 677 
		
	
	
		Number waiting 14 days or less
		
			 Reporting period  RTX Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust RNL North Cumbria acute hospitals NHS trust RMF Preston acute hospitals NHS trust FDD Chorley and South Ribble NHS trust RXN Lancashire teaching hospitals NHS trust 
		
		
			 2001–02 Q1 465 467 204 336 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q2 487 492 231 325 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q3 533 594 252 428 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q4 517 511 291 406 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q1 599 674 312 435 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q2 657 734 n/a n/a 822 
			 2002–03 Q3 655 757 n/a n/a 822 
			 2002–03 Q4 635 722 n/a n/a 783 
			 2003–04 Q1 724 831 n/a n/a 843 
			 2003–04 Q2 738 946 n/a n/a 887 
			 2003–04 Q3 781 991 n/a n/a 990 
			 2003–04 Q4 773 1016 n/a n/a 987 
			 2004–05 Q1 855 866 n/a n/a 1092 
			 2004–05 Q2 882 988 n/a n/a 1034 
			 2004–05 Q3 942 1099 n/a n/a 1016 
			 2004–05 Q4 836 934 n/a n/a 916 
		
	
	
		Number of patients with an urgent referral for suspected cancer received from general practitioner within 24 hours, by waiting time from referral to out-patients appointment, for hospitals in Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic health authority (all cancers) -- Number waiting more than 14 days
		
			 Reporting period  RMR Blackpool Victoria hospital NHS trust RML Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde community health services NHS trust RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre hospitals NHS trust REU Burnley healthcare NHS trust RMB Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley health care NHS trust RXR East Lancashire hospitals NHS trust 
		
		
			 2001–02 Q1 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q2 2 0 n/a 0 1 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q3 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q4 0 0 n/a 1 4 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q1 n/a n/a 0 5 3 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q2 n/a n/a 0 0 3 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q3 n/a n/a 1 1 5 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q4 n/a n/a 0 1 10 n/a 
			 2003–04 Q1 n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a 1 
			 2003–04 Q2 n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a 0 
			 2003–04 Q3 n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a 1 
			 2003–04 Q4 n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a 0 
			 2004–05 Q1 n/a n/a 1 n/a n/a 0 
			 2004–05 Q2 n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a 0 
			 2004–05 Q3 n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a 1 
			 2004–05 Q4 n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a 1 
		
	
	
		Number waiting more than 14 days
		
			 Reporting period  RTX Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust RNL North Cumbria acute hospitals NHS trust RMF Preston acute hospitals NHS trust FDD Chorley and South Ribble NHS trust RXN Lancashire teaching hospitals NHS trust 
		
		
			 2001–02 Q1 62 53 0 0 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q2 70 85 0 0 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q3 35 106 0 0 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q4 14 138 0 0 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q1 8 137 0 0 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q2 2 123 n/a n/a 0 
			 2002–03 Q3 0 112 n/a n/a 0 
			 2002–03 Q4 1 167 n/a n/a 0 
			 2003–04 Ql 0 178 n/a n/a 0 
			 2003–04 Q2 0 30 n/a n/a 0 
			 2003–04 Q3 0 2 n/a n/a 0 
			 2003–04 Q4 0 2 n/a n/a 0 
			 2004–05 Q1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 
			 2004–05 Q2 0 2 n/a n/a 0 
			 2004–05 Q3 1 2 n/a n/a 0 
			 2004–05 Q4 0 4 n/a n/a 0 
		
	
	
		Number of patients with an urgent referral for suspected cancer received from general practitioner within 24 hours, by waiting time from referral to out-patients appointment, for hospitals in Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic health authority (all cancers) -- Percentage
		
			   Percentage waiting 14 days or less 
			 Reporting period  RMR Blackpool Victoria hospital NHS trust RML Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde community health services NHS trust RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre hospitals NHS trust REU Burnley healthcare NHS trust RMB Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley health care NHS trust RXR East Lancashire hospitals NHS trust 
		
		
			 2001–02 Q1 100 100 n/a 100 100 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q2 100 100 n/a 100 100 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q3 100 100 n/a 100 100 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q4 100 100 n/a 100 98 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q1 n/a n/a 100 99 99 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q2 n/a n/a 100 100 99 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q3 n/a n/a 100 100 98 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q4 n/a n/a 100 100 96 n/a 
			 2003–04 Q1 n/a n/a 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2003–04 Q2 n/a n/a 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2003–04 Q3 n/a n/a 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2003–04 Q4 n/a n/a 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2004–05 Q1 n/a n/a 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2004–05 Q2 n/a n/a 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2004–05 Q3 n/a n/a 100 n/a n/a 98 
			 2004–05 Q4 n/a n/a 100 n/a n/a 100 
		
	
	
		Percentage
		
			   Percentage waiting 14 days or less 
			 Reporting period  RTX Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust RNL North Cumbria acute hospitals NHS trust RMF Preston acute hospitals NHS trust FDD Chorley and South Ribble NHS trust RXN Lancashire teaching hospitals NHS trust 
		
		
			 2001–02 Q1 88 90 100 100 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q2 87 85 100 100 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q3 94 85 100 100 n/a 
			 2001–02 Q4 97 79 100 100 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q1 99 83 100 100 n/a 
			 2002–03 Q2 100 86 n/a n/a 100 
			 2002–03 Q3 100 87 n/a n/a 100 
			 2002–03 Q4 100 81 n/a n/a 100 
			 2003–04 Q1 100 82 n/a n/a 100 
			 2003–04 Q2 100 97 n/a n/a 100 
			 2003–04 Q3 100 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2003–04 Q4 100 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2004–05 Q1 100 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2004–05 Q2 100 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2004–05 Q3 100 100 n/a n/a 100 
			 2004–05 Q4 100 100 n/a n/a 100 
		
	
	Notes
	1.RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre hospitals NHS trust formed 2002–03 by merger of RMR Blackpool Victoria hospital NHS Trust and RL Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde community health services NHS trust.
	2.RXR East Lancashire hospitals NHS trust formed 2003–04 by merger of REU Burnley healthcare NHS trust and RMB Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS trust.
	3.RXN Lancashire teaching hospitals NHS trust formed 2002–03 (effective 1 August 2002) by merger of RMF Preston acute hospitals NHS trust and RJU Chorley and South Ribble NHS trust.
	Source:
	CWT-Db, Department of Health

Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the operation of Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust, with particular reference to (a) its Foundation Trust status and (b) the periods for election for the board membership.

Liam Byrne: This is a matter for the chair of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust. I have written to Mr. Dennis Benson informing him of my hon. Friend's inquiry.

Lung Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the change in need for lung cancer operations resulting from the implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on lung cancer, with specific reference to the provision of positron emission tomography scanners.

Rosie Winterton: These data are not currently collected by the Department. However, the PLUS clinical trials have indicated that positron emission tomography (PET) scanning can prevent patients undergoing unnecessary surgery for one out of five patients with suspected non-small-cell lung cancer
	The Department has commissioned the National Cancer Research Institute to undertake research on the impact of PET scanning.
	The draft national framework for the development of PET services also strongly recommends, in paragraph 7.3, that service providers should undertake audits of the impact on clinical management and outcomes for their patients.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth what her Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: Expenditure by the Department on external consultants in each of the last three years, is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Financial year Expenditure (£ million) 
		
		
			 2002–03 7.266 
			 2003–04 10.031 
			 2004–05 12.8 
		
	
	It is not possible to disaggregate charges for management consultants from the overall cost of consultancy services.

Medical Students

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what representations she has received from educational institutions outside the UK wishing to offer courses for UK students to study medicine; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the merits of supporting UK medical students to train in universities outside the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Two overseas educational institutions, St.George's Medical school, Grenada and St. Michael's school of Medicine, St Helena, have made representations since 2003, together with an unrelated approach this year from an individual on behalf of an unnamed European university.
	The United Kingdom plans and funds the future numbers of its medical graduates very carefully. It is not our policy to meet planned numbers through the funding of places in institutions outside the UK. It is, of course, open to such institutions to offer places to UK citizens who might on graduation seek to work in the UK.

Mental Health

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to how many individuals and organisations the report Securing Better Mental Health for Older Adults" has been sent; and what resources have been allocated to publicising it.

Liam Byrne: Securing Better Mental Health for Older Adults" is not available in hard copy. The report is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/ll/50/80/04115080.Ddf

Mental Health

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what methodology was used to calculate figures quoted in the report Securing Better Mental Health for Older Adults stating that (a) 40 percent. of GP attendees, (b) 50 percent. of general hospital patients and (c) 60 percent. of care home residents are older adults with mental health problems.

Liam Byrne: The figures were provided by the Department's senior clinical adviser on older people's mental health services. While no one figure will be exact, as different studies show slightly different results, the figures of 40, 50 and 60 percent., mentioned are rounded figures representative of the appropriate literature available.

Mental Health

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated to support the work of the programme board for older adult mental health services (a) to promote social inclusion and (b) to support the Government's vision for social care as set out in the Securing Better Mental Health for Older Adults report.

Liam Byrne: Decisions on how much funding should be used for the provision of mental health services rest with local service commissioners and providers, who will take into account of local priorities and the particular needs of their resident population. The work associated with taking forward the Department's new vision of mental health services for older people will help with this decision-making.

Mental Health

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the findings of the Count Me In" survey will be used to reduce ethnic inequality in mental health services; and how progress will be measured.

Rosie Winterton: The Count Me In" census of all mental health inpatients was undertaken successfully on 31 March. It included questions on patients' ethnicity and faith, the sort of care they were receiving and how they had come into contact with mental health services. The results of this census are still being analysed. They will provide a clearer picture than has been available previously of the type and magnitude of inequalities in services for black and minority ethnic (BME) patients. The results will help us to identify priorities for our BME mental health programme aimed at reducing such inequalities.
	The Healthcare Commission will repeat and extend the census in 2006 and future years, allowing the 2005 data to serve as a baseline for measuring progress. A report on the 2005 census will be published this autumn.

Mental Health

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the provision of mental health services in Lancashire for (a) young people and (b) adults.

Liam Byrne: Lancashire Care National Health Service Trust provides mental health services in Lancashire to adults aged 16 to 65 and older adults over the age of 65. Child and adolescent mental health services are provided by a range of primary care trusts and acute trusts across the Cumbria and Lancashire strategic health authority area.

Milton Keynes General Hospital

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much target-tied funding the Milton Keynes General Hospital maternity ward has received from its primary care trust over each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much funding the Milton Keynes General Hospital maternity ward has received in each of the past five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

MRI Scans

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is held centrally about waiting lists for diagnostic scanning services.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The Department does not currently collect data on diagnostic waiting lists centrally, but will be revising data collections to support the 18 week waiting time target that include activity levels and waiting times for a number of diagnostic tests.

MRSA

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the pilot for an enhanced surveillance system for MRSA (a) was commissioned and (b) commenced; and when she expects it will (i) conclude and (ii) be evaluated.

Jane Kennedy: Piloting of the enhanced surveillance system for meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus" was commissioned in March 2005 and started in 21 acute national health service trusts in England on 1 May 2005.
	Although the pilot will conclude in September, the evaluation is on-going.

MRSA

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with MRSA in Milton Keynes between 2001 and 2005.

Rosie Winterton: Meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) creates a range of conditions, including simple carriage with no ill effects, minor skin infections and serious infections such as pneumonia or blood stream infections (bacteraemia). Mandatory surveillance only covers blood stream infections and the data shown in the table has been extracted from the Department's mandatory MRSA bacteraemia surveillance scheme annual data for 2001 to 2005. This is a available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/40/15/04114015.pdf.
	
		Milton Keynes General Hospital National Health Service Trust 
		
			  Number of MRSA bacteraemia reports 
		
		
			 2001–02 9 
			 2002–03 13 
			 2003–04 7 
			 2004–05 11

MRSA

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many cases of MRSA have been recorded in hospitals in Hornsey and Wood Green in each of the last five years, broken down by age of patient;
	(2)  how many cases of hospital acquired infections have been recorded in hospitals in Hornsey and Wood Green in each of the last five years; broken down by age of patient.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the care available to those with multiple chemical sensitivity.

Liam Byrne: The national health service provides a range of services for those people suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity based on an individual assessment of need. This includes, for those with complex cases requiring special facilities for the investigation and management of their condition, six specialist centres run by allergists.

Multiple Sclerosis

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and (b) potential manufacturers, on the possible general use of Aimspro for multiple sclerosis sufferers.

Jane Kennedy: The Department has had no discussions with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the possible general use of Aimspro.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has held a number of discussions with the owners of the product and their nominated, unlicensed, manufacturer.
	The MHRA has carried out regulatory inspections to determine applications for manufacturing licences submitted by the nominated manufacturer in respect of two facilities. The applications were refused, because of critical and major deficiencies concerning good manufacturing practice.
	The MHRA has advised the nominated manufacturer on the corrective action needed to enable the licences to be granted. The MHRA also continues to provide advice to the product's owners on alternative manufacturing arrangements, including the use of existing licensed manufacturers.

Multiple Sclerosis

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many multiple sclerosis sufferers (a) have undertaken and (b) are undertaking Aimspro treatment.

Jane Kennedy: 12 patients entered an authorised clinical trial at an Oxford hospital, although one of these dropped out before completion. A number of patients were recruited into an authorised clinical trial at a London hospital, but the trial was halted with only one patient completed.
	A number of patients have received Aimspro as an unlicensed medicinal product, without any authorised clinical trial, on the responsibility of the prescribing doctors. Information obtained by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency indicates that at least 250 persons with multiple sclerosis have been treated with the product.
	The Department has no information on the number of patients who are currently undertaking or completing a course of treatment with Aimspro.

Multiple Sclerosis

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects a decision to be made on the suitability of Aimspro for the treatment of MS.

Jane Kennedy: In order for Aimspro to be granted a marketing authorisation, the applicant must undertake authorised clinical trials and tests designed to demonstrate the safety, quality and efficacy of the product and submit the resulting data to the appropriate regulatory authority for professional assessment.
	To date, no application for a marketing authorisation for Aimspro has been received by either the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency or the European Medicines Agency.

Multiple Sclerosis

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effectiveness of Aimspro for multiple sclerosis sufferers; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: None. It is for the applicant for a marketing authorisation, and/or manufacturer where appropriate, to demonstrate the quality, safety and efficacy of a new medicinal product.

Myeloma

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been provided from her Department's research and development directorate for research into myeloma in each financial year since 1997–98.

Jane Kennedy: Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. The national health service spend from this funding in support of cancer research is shown in the following table.
	
		£ million
		
			  Amount(205) 
		
		
			 1997–98 n/a 
			 1998–99 63 
			 1999–2000 64 
			 2000–01 73 
			 2001–02 104 
			 2002–03 103 
			 2003–04 113 
		
	
	n/a=Not available.
	(205)Estimated expenditure from 1998–99 to 2000–01 and actual reported expenditure from 2001–02 onwards.
	Details of individual NHS projects, including those concerned with myeloma, can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research. Project level expenditure data for the period in question are not held centrally.
	The NHS Plan announced that the Department would provide an additional £20 million a year to establish a national cancer research network. The national cancer research network established as a result is currently providing NHS support for two myeloma trials.
	The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the NHS through its national research programmes. The health technology assessment programme has, since 1997–98, funded two projects on myeloma at a total cost of £131,000.
	Site-specific research expenditure figures understate the position to the extent that they exclude the research applicable to all cancers and the research that although classified as undertaken in one site has implications for another.

National Health Service University

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1) what factors underlay the decision on whether to apply Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment principles to staff affected by the break up of the National Health Service University;
	(2)  how many NHS staff have been transferred from the National Health Service University to the new institute;
	(3)  for what reason the word learning has been removed from the list of functions of the new institute replacing the NHS University; and what factors underlay the decision regarding whether there should be consultation with the unions before that list of functions was finalised.

Jane Kennedy: Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) or TUPE-like (under Cabinet Office guidelines) principles were applied to those situations in which discreet undertakings are transferring to other organisations. This is in line with best practice on the application of TUPE. Approximately 30 NHSU staff are transferring to other organisations with transferring NHSU programmes. It is planned that the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement will be the residual body for the NHSU and that around 100 NHSU staff will therefore transfer to the institute to finalise the closure of NHSU or while they continue to seek alternative employment opportunities pending the end of their redundancy notice period. Staff in this group have been served notice of redundancy, and if alternative employment is not obtained, will be made redundant on 30 September 2005.
	In order to promote innovation and best practice in the delivery of services, the institute will have regard to the training and development of national health service staff, as set out in the establishment order. This activity will include pooling knowledge about how staff learn best and applying this to the learning gaps identified by the institute's priority programmes. The institute will employ a director to lead this work and will help local organisations build capacity in this area. The provision of learning opportunities for NHS staff, to which the Government remain committed, is the responsibility of other organisations both within and outside the NHS.
	The unions were represented on the advisory board, which oversaw the development of the policy and plans for the institute, and were closely involved in the process of deciding where TUPE should apply. It was not considered necessary to consult the unions directly on the wording of the statutory functions. The establishment order which includes the statutory functions was approved by Parliament.

National Service Framework for Older People

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the national service framework for older people remains a 10-year programme; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The key themes and principles of the national service framework (NSF) for older people remain extant. It was always envisaged that such a significant and far-reaching programme of action would take 10 years to realise fully.
	The action milestone dates set out in the NSF have now been passed. In addition, new policy initiatives pertinent to the development of older people's service have been and are being developed. Further, since Shifting the Balance of Power", local health and social care organisations now have greater flexibility in commissioning and providing services. In recognition of these changes since the launch of the NSF in 2001, Ian Philp, national director responsible for older people's services at the Department, will, in the autumn, present a Next steps" document, suggesting how the significant momentum that has been generated since the launch of the NSF can be maintained.

National Service Framework for Long-term Neurological Conditions

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress has been made by the Long-term Conditions Care Group Workforce Team in identifying the workforce required to implement the National Service Framework for long-term neurological conditions; and what steps are being taken to (a) train and (b) recruit the necessary workforce;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of consultant neurologists necessary to meet the requirements of the National Service Framework for long-term neurological conditions.

Liam Byrne: Between September 1997 and December 2004, the number of neurology consultants working in the national health service has increased by 175, or 63 per cent. Implementation of the national service framework will require additional specialist skills and the development of new roles. The skill-mix required in each locality is a matter for local determination and planning.
	The long term conditions care group workforce team, hosted by Skills for Health", has identified a range of workforce issues and is working with the Department and other stakeholders to support local planning and develop solutions for local implementation.

Neonatal Intensive Care

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many special care baby units were open for the whole of each year since 2000;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the (a) number of nurses required and (b) cost of providing two nurses per special care baby intensive care cot.

Liam Byrne: The information requested on the number of special care baby units open for the whole of each year since 2000 and the cost of providing two nurses per special care baby intensive care cot is not collected centrally.
	It is for local neonatal networks and hospital trusts to determine the number of neonatal intensive care cots required and to ensure there are appropriate nursing levels within their neonatal units. The nurse to infant ratio is not constant, but relative to the criticality of the infants on the unit.

Neonatal Intensive Care

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent reports she has evaluated on special care for sick babies; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many neonatal intensive care units have one-to-one nursing;
	(3)  how many neonatal intensive care units have been closed to new admissions in the last six months;
	(4)  how many premature babies were transferred away from their local hospital in order to find an intensive care cot in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The Department established a review group to examine neonatal services, including special care for sick babies, in 2001. The report of the group was issued for public consultation in April 2003. It suggests a structured, collaborative approach to caring for newborn babies and proposes that hospitals work closely together in formal, managed networks to provide the safest and most effective service for mothers and babies. Responses to the consultation exercise were overwhelmingly supportive.
	Specialist commissioners for neonatal intensive care have been working with the national health service locally to facilitate progress with implementing this initiative. We welcome the recent review of progress by the national perinatal epidemiology unit, commissioned by BLISS, which gives clear indications as to where more can be achieved.
	Additional funding has been made available to support the implementation of the report, including £20 million for capital expenditure in 2003–04. The additional money for running costs has risen from £12 million in 2003–04 to £20 million in 2005–06 and has been allocated to primary care trusts on a recurrent basis.
	The information requested on the number of neonatal intensive care units with a level of one to one nursing is not collected centrally. It is for local hospital trusts to ensure that there are appropriate nursing levels within neonatal units. The nurse to infant ratio is not constant, but relative to the criticality of the infants on the unit.
	The information requested on the number of neonatal units closed to new admissions and the number of premature babies transferred away from their local hospital in order to find an intensive care cot is not collected centrally.

Neonatal Intensive Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2005, Official Report, column 435W, on neonatal care, what steps she is taking to ensure the additional revenue funding for 2005–06 is being used specifically to improve neonatal intensive care services.

Liam Byrne: It is for local national health service primary care trusts (PCTs) to decide how the additional revenue funding can best be used to improve neonatal intensive care services. PCTs are working with neonatal specialist commissioners and strategic health authorities to develop neonatal services appropriate to the needs of their population. The Department is supporting this process through regular engagement with the neonatal commissioners.

New Forest Primary Care Trust

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will investigate the reasons for the deficit incurred by New Forest primary care trust.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 21 July 2005
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) are expected to plan for and achieve financial balance every year. Funds have been allocated directly to PCTs to give them the freedom and flexibility to deliver on key targets and achieve financial balance.
	The Department expects strategic health authorities to deliver overall financial balance for their local health communities.

New Medications (Safety Testing)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to end the requirement that new medications are safety tested on animals before they are given to humans.

Jane Kennedy: Regulatory and scientific requirements on the testing strategies for new medicinal products have been established at European and international levels. The Note for Guidance on Non-clinical Safety Studies for the Conduct of human Clinical Trials for Pharmaceuticals (CPMP/ICH/286/95)" provides guidance as to what safety tests are required before a medicinal product enters the different stages of a clinical trial program. These safety tests in animals are needed to establish the safety and toxicological profile of a medicinal product before it is used in man. As a result of these tests, a large number of potential medicinal products never make it to use in man because their toxicological profile is unacceptable. These tests serve an essential role in the development of medicines. Therefore, we will not make it our policy to end the requirement for safety testing in animals.

NHS (European Contractors)

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list contractors based in other EU member states that are providing services to the NHS.

Jane Kennedy: The Department does not hold centrally a record of individual contracts providing the nationality of all suppliers to the national health service. Such detailed information could obtained only at disproportionate cost.

NHS Consultants

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department gives to NHS trusts on the use of locum staff to fill temporarily vacant consultant posts; and what limits there are on the duration of such arrangements.

Liam Byrne: The Good Practice Guidance on the NHS (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations" includes reference to locum appointments, emphasising the existing limits on the employment of locum consultants and affirming the role of the Royal Colleges in advising extensions of employment. The initial appointment should be for a period not exceeding six months and any extension for a maximum of six months subject to a satisfactory review by the trust and to consultation with the relevant college.

NHS Counselling Services

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has spent on counselling services in each year since 1975.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally by the Department.

NHS Deficit

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department forecast year-end deficit for the NHS as a whole for the financial year 2004–05 is, as described on page 41 of the National Audit Office report Financial Management in the NHS.

Liam Byrne: In the last four years, up to and including 2003–04, the national health service has achieved overall financial balance. We are currently anticipating a deficit of around £140 million in 2004–05, across around 600 NHS organisations. This represents only around 0.2 per cent, of available resources.
	The anticipated financial position is based upon provisional figures. Audited information in respect of the 2004–05 financial position of all strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts will be published in their individual annual accounts and will be available centrally in autumn 2005.

NHS Direct

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation her Department has undertaken of NHS Direct.

Liam Byrne: Two evaluations have been made regarding NHS Direct. They are available at www.shef.ac.uk/scharr/mcru/reports.htm and www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/Homepage/fs/en.

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she expects the call capacity of NHS Direct to reach 16 million calls per year by 2006, as set out in the Department's strategy document Developing NHS Direct, published in April 2003.

Liam Byrne: The strategy document, Developing NHS Direct", predicted that NHS Direct could be in the position to handle 16 million calls by December 2006. This was based on the assumption that NHS Direct might handle 100 per cent. of general practitioner out-of-hours calls by that stage. Primary care trusts now have the choice as to whether they commission NHS Direct to handle GP out-of-hours services or use local providers. On this basis, it is currently forecast that NHS Direct will be handling fewer calls in 2006.

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been employed in NHS Direct in each year since 1997–98, broken down by type of occupation.

Liam Byrne: Prior to April 2004, NHS Direct services were provided by 22 local national health service trusts. Total figures on the overall number of staff employed were not collected centrally.
	The overall number of staff has been collected by the NHS Direct special health authority since April 2004. This shows that the latest establishment for NHS Direct in 2005–06 is 2,961 FTE, which equates to a total headcount of 4,052. The breakdown of these staff, based on the total headcount is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Type of staff Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Nurse advisors 1,199 40.5 
			 Call handlers 799 27.0 
			 Health information advisors 175 5.9 
			 Administrative and clerical 788 26.6

NHS Logistics

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NHS Logistics has been invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market; and whether NHS Logistics submitted such a bid.

Jane Kennedy: NHS Logistics was not invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market.
	However, it should be noted that no organisation was invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market.
	Interested bidders had to respond to the advertisement that was placed in the Official Journal of the European Union in August 2004.
	No such bid has been received from NHS Logisitcs.

NHS Logistics

Mike Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) NHS trusts and (b) primary care trusts were consulted about the market testing of NHS Logistics; and if she will publish the responses.

Jane Kennedy: The Department recognises how important it is to consult with the people who use the national health service supply chain; the trusts. They have been and continue to be consulted about the market testing.
	Two different consultation groups have been established, membership of which is drawn from the acute trusts as it is they who primarily use the services provided by NHS Logistics.
	A customer reference group was set up in November 2004. This group consisted of procurement leads from the trusts listed in the response.
	The customer reference group allows the commercial directorate to give updates on the process, and allows procurement leads to ask questions. The nature of the debate is by necessity very general. However, members were solicited for their views on the current service and these findings have helped to inform the market testing process.
	It was decided that a smaller group had to be established which could be party to more commercially sensitive information. This group, the supply chain and procurement panel (SCPP), first met in April 2005. Membership was drawn from major supply confederations and the new collaborative procurement hubs. All of these organisations are also part of the customer reference group.
	Both groups continue to meet, but the level of engagement is much deeper with the SCPP.
	Consultation with the SCPP is commercial in confidence. As such, feedback cannot be published. However, we are able to publish any minutes from consultation meetings with the customer reference group. This includes a summary of views expressed during the one-on-one interviews about the current supply chain services.
	Please note that primary care trusts (PCTs) are represented through the collaborative procurement hubs to which they belong and who also take part in the consultation process.
	A list of the trusts involved in the consultation is shown as follows.
	Greater Manchester Collaborative Procurement Hub1
	Shropshire and Staffordshire Collaborative Procurement Hub2
	Healthcare Purchasing Consortium Collaborative Procurement Hub3
	South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust
	Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Universities Hospitals NHS Trust
	East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust
	The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust
	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
	Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
	Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust
	Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust
	Sheffield Care Trust
	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
	University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
	Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Queen's Medical Centre Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust
	Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Poole Hospitals NHS Trust
	Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust
	Southend Hospital NHS Trust
	East Midlands NHS Procurement Project
	King's College Hospital NHS Trust
	Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust
	Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
	Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
	1 2 3 Refer to following tables for member trusts of these procurement hubs.
	Greater Manchester Collaborative Procurement Hub member trusts
	Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT
	Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust
	Bolton PCT
	Bury PCT
	Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Central Manchester PCT
	Christie Hospital NHS Trust
	Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust
	Heywood and Middleton PCT
	Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust
	North Manchester PCT
	Oldham PCT
	Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
	Pennine Care NHS Trust
	Rochdale PCT
	Salford PCT
	Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust
	South Manchester PCT
	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
	Stockport PCT
	Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust
	Tameside and Glossop PCT
	Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust
	Trafford North PCT
	Trafford South PCT
	Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust
	Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority
	Shropshire and Staffordshire Collaborative Procurement Hub member trusts
	Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT
	Burton Hospitals NHS Trust
	Cannock Chase PCT
	East Staffordshire PCT
	Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust
	Newcastle-under-Lyme PCT
	North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust
	North Stoke PCT
	Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
	Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (The)
	Shropshire County PCT
	South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust
	South Stoke PCT
	South Western Staffordshire PCT
	Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
	Staffordshire Moorlands PCT
	Telford and Wrekin PCT
	University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust
	Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority
	Healthcare Purchasing Consortium Collaborative Procurement Hub member trusts
	Coventry and Warwickshire Ambulance NHS Trust
	Coventry teaching PCT
	George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
	Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust
	Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust
	Herefordshire PCT
	North Warwickshire NHS Trust
	North Warwickshire PCT
	Redditch and Bromsgrove PCT
	Rugby PCT
	South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust
	South Warwickshire PCT
	South Worcestershire PCT
	University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
	Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
	Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
	Wyre Forest PCT

NHS Logistics

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she had with the management of NHS Logistics on the market-testing of the NHS Logistics Authority; whether the management of NHS Logistics would be able to bid for the contract; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The management of NHS Logistics has been closely involved throughout the market testing of the potential outsourcing of the national health service consumables supply chain, currently managed by NHS Logistics and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.
	NHS Logistics was not invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market.
	However, it should be noted that no organisation—or group of individuals—was invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market.
	Interested parties had the opportunity to respond to the advertisement that was placed in the Official Journal of the European Union in August 2004.
	Any individual or group of individuals from the organisation could have done so.

NHS Professionals

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS trusts received a service from NHS Professionals in each year since it was set up; what the (a) budgeted and (b) actual expenditure was in each case; and what the (i) number and (ii) duration of placements were.

Liam Byrne: The NHS Professionals special health authority was set up in April 2004. As at April 2005, it provided services to 43 percent., or 102 of the 236 national health service trusts in England. Budgeted and actual costs in each case are not held centrally. During the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005, NHS Professionals filled a total of 1,843,803 nursing shifts and locum placements. The duration of individual placements can vary significantly.

NHS Staff Assaults

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) consultants and (d) auxiliary staff have been victims of violence in the Milton Keynes NHS Trust over the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: The incidence of violence against staff at Milton Keynes General National Health Service Trust is not available in the format requested or for the past ten years.
	The figures shown in the table are from the violence, accidents and harassment (VAH) survey for 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2002–03. They are blanket figures for Milton Keynes General NHS Trust and cannot be broken down into staff groups. The VAH survey is no longer collected. The figures shown are the latest available.
	
		VAH survey in the NHS—reported violent incidents against NHS staff in the Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust
		
			   Number 
		
		
			 RD8 Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust  
			  2000–01 60 
			  2001–02 61 
			  2002–03 41 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are for the period 1 April to 31 March 2005 for each specified year.
	Source:
	VAH survey in the NHS.

NHS Staff Recruitment

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthhow many (a) doctors and (b) nurses have been recruited to work in Teesside since (i) 1997 and (ii)2001.

Liam Byrne: Information is not collected centrally on the number of staff recruited.
	The following table shows the numbers of staff in post in September 1997, September 2001 and September 2004 for organisations in the Teesside area.
	
		Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) staff, general medical practitioners (excluding retainers), nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff and GP practice nurses. All doctors and nurses by organisation. -- England—numbers (headcount)
		
			   1997 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(206) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers)(207) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 2,015 1,366 649 7,732 7,328 404 
			  Of which:   
			  Teesside — 900 — — 4,440 — 
			  Of which:   
			  Tees HA — — 312 — — — 
			 4FC32 Hartlepool PCG (208)— — — — — — 
			 4XA29 Langbaurgh PCG (208)— — — — — — 
			 4DD23 Middlesbrough and Eston PCG (208)— — — — — — 
			 4QP36 Stockton PCG (208)— — — — — — 
			 4EE45 Easington PCG — — — — — — 
			 4KQ91 Sedgefield PCG — — — — — — 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KD Easington PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KE Sedgefield PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KN Langbaurgh PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RCA Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust (208)— 106 (208)— (208)— 502 (208)— 
			 RCH North Tees Health NHS Trust (208)— 166 (208)— (208)— 951 (208)— 
			 RCJ South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 420 (208)— (208)— 1,575 (208)— 
			 RE4 South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust (208)— 82 (208)— (208)— 702 (208)— 
			 RRY Hartlepool and East Durham NHS Trust (208)— 126 (208)— (208)— 710 (208)— 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
		
	
	
		England—numbers (headcount)
		
			   1998 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(206) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers)(207) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 2,062 1,412 650 8,050 7,592 458 
			  Of which:   
			  Teesside — 937 — — 4,729 — 
			  Of which:   
			  Tees HA — — 308 — — — 
			 4FC32 Hartlepool PCG — — — — — — 
			 4XA29 Langbaurgh PCG — — — — — — 
			 4DD23 Middlesbrough and Eston PCG — — — — — — 
			 4QP36 Stockton PCG — — — — — — 
			 4EE45 Easington PCG — — — — — — 
			 4KQ91 Sedgefield PCG — — — — — — 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KD Easington PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KE Sedgefield PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KN Langbaurgh PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RCA Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust (208)— 110 (208)— (208)— 535 (208)— 
			 RCH North Tees Health NHS Trust (208)— 170 (208)— (208)— 1,014 (208)— 
			 RCJ South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 442 (208)— (208)— 1,599 (208)— 
			 RE4 South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust (208)— 76 (208)— (208)— 830 (208)— 
			 RRY Hartlepool and East Durham NHS Trust (208)— 139 (208)— (208)— 751 (208)— 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
		
	
	
		England—numbers (headcount)
		
			   1999 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(206) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers)(207) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 2,116 1,460 656 8,224 7,789 455 
			  Of which:   
			  Teesside — 965 — — 4,765 — 
			  Of which:   
			  Tees HA — — — — — — 
			 4FC32 Hartlepool PCG — — 48 — — — 
			 4XA29 Langbaurgh PCG — — 61 — — — 
			 4DD23 Middlesbrough and Eston PCG — — 105 — — — 
			 4QP36 Stockton PCG — — 98 — — — 
			 4EE45 Easington PCG — — 48 — — — 
			 4KQ91 Sedgefield PCG — — 55 — — — 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KD Easington PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KE Sedgefield PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KN Langbaurgh PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RCA Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust (208)— 111 (208)— (208)— 553 (208)— 
			 RCH North Tees Health NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RCJ South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 459 (208)— (208)— 1,602 (208)— 
			 RE4 South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RRY Hartlepool and East Durham NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust (208)— 284 (208)— (208)— 1,497 (208)— 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust (208)— 111 (208)— (208)— 1,113 (208)— 
		
	
	
		England—numbers (headcount)
		
			   2000 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(206) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers)(207) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 2,162 1,501 661 8,458 8,027 431 
			  Of which:   
			  Teesside — 975 — — 4,850 — 
			  Of which:   
			  Tees HA — — — — — — 
			 4FC32 Hartlepool PCG — — 48 — — — 
			 4XA29 Langbaurgh PCG — — 60 — — — 
			 4DD23 Middlesbrough and Eston PCG — — 109 — — — 
			 4QP36 Stockton PCG — — 97 — — — 
			 4EE45 Easington PCG — — 50 — — — 
			 4KQ91 Sedgefield PCG — — 53 — — — 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KD Easington PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KE Sedgefield PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KN Langbaurgh PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RCA Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust (208)— 114 (208)— (208)— 579 (208)— 
			 RCH North Tees Health NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RCJ South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 453 (208)— (208)— 1,619 (208)— 
			 RE4 South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RRY Hartlepool and East Durham NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust (208)— 280 (208)— (208)— 1,525 (208)— 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust (208)— 128 (208)— (208)— 1,127 (208)— 
		
	
	
		England—numbers (headcount)
		
			   2001 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(206) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers)(207) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 2,228 1,532 696 8,600 8,129 471 
			  Of which:   
			  Teesside — 1,026 — — 5,030 — 
			  Of which:   
			  Tees HA — — — — — — 
			 4FC32 Hartlepool PCG — — — — — — 
			 4XA29 Langbaurgh PCG — — — — — — 
			 4DD23 Middlesbrough and Eston PCG — — — — — — 
			 4QP36 Stockton PCG — — — — — — 
			 4EE45 Easington PCG — — — — — — 
			 4KQ91 Sedgefield PCG — — — — — — 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 82 (208)— 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 138 (208)— 
			 5KD Easington PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KE Sedgefield PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 5KN Langbaurgh PCT (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RCA Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust (208)— 127 (208)— (208)— 604 (208)— 
			 RCH North Tees Health NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RCJ South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 479 (208)— (208)— 1,658 (208)— 
			 RE4 South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RRY Hartlepool and East Durham NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust (208)— 0 (208)— (208)— 0 (208)— 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust (208)— 282 (208)— (208)— 1,348 (208)— 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust (208)— 138 (208)— (208)— 1,200 (208)— 
		
	
	
		England—numbers (headcount)
		
			   2002 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(206) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers)(207) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 2,252 1,551 701 8,647 8,141 506 
			  Of which:   
			  Teesside 1,474 1,028 446 5,492 5,154 338 
			  Of which:   
			  Tees HA — — — — — — 
			 4FC32 Hartlepool PCG — — — — — — 
			 4XA29 Langbaurgh PCG — — — — — — 
			 4DD23 Middlesbrough and Eston PCG — — — — — — 
			 4QP36 Stockton PCG — — — — — — 
			 4EE45 Easington PCG — — — — — — 
			 4KQ91 Sedgefield PCG — — — — — — 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT 52 0 52 143 99 44 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT 126 25 101 314 226 88 
			 5KD Easington PCT 54 0 54 153 108 45 
			 5KE Sedgefield PCT 59 0 59 149 113 36 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT 133 14 119 318 229 89 
			 5KN Langbaurgh PCT 62 1 61 220 184 36 
			 RCA Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RCH North Tees Health NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RCJ South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RE4 South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RRY Hartlepool and East Durham NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 596 596 0 2,127 2,127 0 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust 306 306 0 1,214 1,214 0 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 86 86 0 854 854 0 
		
	
	
		England—numbers (headcount)
		
			   2003 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(206) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers)(207) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 2,329 1,571 758 9,084 8,536 548 
			  Of which:   
			  Teesside 1,542 1,063 479 5,799 5,435 364 
			  Of which:   
			  Tees HA — — — — — — 
			 4FC32 Hartlepool PCG — — — — — — 
			 4XA29 Langbaurgh PCG — — — — — — 
			 4DD23 Middlesbrough and Eston PCG — — — — — — 
			 4QP36 Stockton PCG — — — — — — 
			 4EE45 Easington PCG — — — — — — 
			 4KQ91 Sedgefield PCG — — — — — — 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT 58 0 58 170 126 44 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT 141 24 117 307 204 103 
			 5KD Easington PCT 57 1 56 184 136 48 
			 5KE Sedgefield PCT 61 0 61 170 127 43 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT 136 14 122 335 252 83 
			 5KN Langbaurgh PCT 66 1 65 218 175 43 
			 RCA Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RCH North Tees Health NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RCJ South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RE4 South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RRY Hartlepool and East Durham NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 624 624 0 2,296 2,296 0 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust 318 318 0 1,237 1,237 0 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 81 81 0 882 882 0 
		
	
	
		England—numbers (headcount)
		
			   2004 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(206) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers)(207) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 2,523 1,731 792 9,280 8,727 553 
			  Of which:   
			  Teesside 1,636 1,146 490 5,950 5,573 377 
			  Of which:   
			  Tees HA — — — — — — 
			 4FC32 Hartlepool PCG — — — — — — 
			 4XA29 Langbaurgh PCG — — — — — — 
			 4DD23 Middlesbrough and Eston PCG — — — — — — 
			 4QP36 Stockton PCG — — — — — — 
			 4EE45 Easington PCG — — — — — — 
			 4KQ91 Sedgefield PCG — — — — — — 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT 55 0 55 180 133 47 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT 140 23 117 307 208 99 
			 5KD Easington PCT 56 0 56 216 166 50 
			 5KE Sedgefield PCT 70 0 70 177 137 40 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT 132 8 124 348 252 96 
			 5KN Langbaurgh PCT 68 0 68 236 191 45 
			 RCA Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RCH North Tees Health NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RCJ South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RE4 South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RRY Hartlepool and East Durham NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 653 653 0 2,334 2,334 0 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust 372 372 0 1,226 1,226 0 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 90 90 0 926 926 0 
		
	
	(206)Excludes hospital medical hospital practitioners and hospital medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals.
	(207)General medical practitioners (excluding retainers) includes contracted GPs, QMS others, PMS others and GP registrars. Prior to September 2004, this group included QMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, GP registrars, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
	(208)Not available.
	Note:
	Data as at 30 September each year except GP and practice nurse data as at 1 October 1997–99.
	Sources:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Statistics
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census

NHS Trusts (Final Accounts)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cumulative breakeven position as reported in the final accounts of national health service trusts was in each of the last five years for each NHS organisation in London.

Jane Kennedy: The latest year for which audited data on the financial position of national health service organisations is available is 2003–04. The financial position for all NHS organisations in London for the last five years is shown in the table.
	
		Cumulative break-even position—NHS trusts in London 1999–2000 to 2003–04 -- £000
		
			 NHS trust name 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hosp NHS Trust 0 0 6 11 15 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust(209) -1,017 -8,449 -13,021 -15,166 -19,564 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey MH NHS Trust 0 0 4 -682 -1,606 
			 Barts and The London NHS Trust -11,329 -1,180 -1,142 -1,118 -1,075 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 1,098 3,113 3,731 4,238 4,238 
			 Camden and Islington Mental Health Social Care NHS Trust 0 0 41 70 1,953 
			 Central and North West London MH NHS Trust 5,249 5,284 5,299 5,306 5,322 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust -1,515 -1,230 -829 1,611 -269 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust -528 -481 -383 -566 -559 
			 East London and The City MH NHS Trust 0 67 118 166 203 
			 Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust -271 -271 -225 -2,418 -2,324 
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust 1,162 1,195 1,205 2,327 2,328 
			 Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust 3,738 4,296 4,487 4,611 4,705 
			 Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust -919 -785 -666 -584 -565 
			 Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust 666 699 740 772 774 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Trust -1,450 -1,425 -1,249 -1,214 -1,032 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust -84 -75 -62 -27 -22 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust -587 -486 -440 -346 -257 
			 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust -162 -162 -158 -154 -317 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust 752 772 773 773 773 
			 Newham Healthcare NHS Trust -3,269 248 259 259 279 
			 North East London Mental Health NHS Trust 0 0 7 91 182 
			 North Middlesex University Hosp NHS Trust -6,471 -265 -265 -265 -1,254 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 1,243 1,264 1,281 1,297 -1,802 
			 Oxleas NHS Trust 810 815 817 854 865 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust -6,591 -8,174 -7,886 -673 244 
			 Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust -19 -14 9 -1,945 -1,904 
			 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust 347 495 26 46 52 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust -8,205 -6,339 -1,123 -1,970 -2,931 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Trust -439 -417 -417 -416 -378 
			 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust -6,183 -6,183 -5,570 -1,290 -1,940 
			 St. Mary's NHS Trust -13,753 -852 -850 -848 -1,351 
			 SW London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust 103 178 202 275 287 
			 Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust 53 54 54 54 54 
			 The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust -400 -397 -375 -355 -1,318 
			 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 839 842 846 851 859 
			 The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Trust 1,174 1,951 2,000 2,068 2,104 
			 The Royal Nat Orthopaedic Hosp NHS Trust 13 24 24 24 24 
			 University College London Hosp NHS Trust -8,068 -8,065 -1,303 -1,256 8,138 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 0 0 3 6 -1,363 
			 West Middlesex University NHS Trust -491 -313 -310 -1,089 -952 
			 Whipps Cross University Hosp NHS Trust 0 0 51 53 56 
			 Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 882 882 890 -98 -3,498 
		
	
	(209)In the case of Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust, auditors agreed an amendment to their 2003–04 final accounts, which meant that the trust was not in breach of its breakeven duty.
	Source:
	Audited summarisation accounts for 2003–04.

NICE

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of (a) pharmaceuticals and (b) medical devices were included in the appraisal programme of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004 and (iii) 2005.

Jane Kennedy: Since January 2003, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published 38 items of technical appraisal guidance, of which 25 have been for pharmaceuticals and six for devices. A further four have been for procedures, two for diagnosis and one for health promotion. The table shows a yearly breakdown of these figures. More detailed information on specific items of appraisal guidance is available on the NICE website at www.nice.org.uk.
	
		NICE—Technology appraisal evidence— issued January 2003 to July 2005
		
			  Pharmaceutical Device Procedure Diagnostics Health promotion Total 
		
		
			 2003 11 3 2 2 1 19 
			 2004 11 1 1 0 0 13 
			 2005 3 2 1 0 0 6 
			 Total 25 6 4 2 1 38

NICE

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to increase the rate at which topics are selected for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence work programmes.

Jane Kennedy: The process of selecting topics for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is reviewed from time to time and we are currently considering the scope for further improvements.

Non-Emergency Operations

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the NHS trusts in England which treat NHS patients for (a) knee replacement surgery, (b) cataract surgery, (c) hernia repair and (d) hip replacement surgery.

Liam Byrne: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Northwick Park Hospital

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants are contributing to maternity care in the labour wards at Northwick Park Hospital; and what the consultant to delivery ratio is at (a) Northwick Park Hospital and (b) other NHS hospitals handling over 4,000 deliveries a year, with particular reference to out-of-hours cover.

Jane Kennedy: Maternity care is provided by consultants who specialise in both obstetrics, which is the branch of medicine dealing with childbirth, and gynaecology, the branch of medicine dealing with women's health. Information on the amount of time a consultant contributes solely to maternity care in the labour wards at Northwick Park Hospital is not recorded centrally.
	However, the ratio of deliveries per consultant specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology at Northwick Park Hospital and other national health service hospitals handling over 4,000 deliveries a year is shown in the table.
	However, the statistics available are unable to make reference to out of hours cover.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Consultants within the obstetrics and gynaecology specialty by trust with 4,000 or more registered deliveries(210) -- England at 31 December 2004Number (headcount) and ratio
		
			   Obstetrics and gynaecology consultants Amount of deliveries registered(210) Delivery to consultant ratio 
		
		
			 England  1,431 575,896 402 
			 Of which: 
			 Addenbrookes NHS Trust RGT 12 4,750 396 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust RF4 17 4,081 240 
			 Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust RR1 13 6,637 511 
			 Birmingham Women's Healthcare NHS Trust RLU 16 6,424 402 
			 Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust RMC 5 4,148 830 
			 Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust RAE 10 5,324 532 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust RXH 11 5,224 475 
			 Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust RW3 14 4,412 315 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust RQM 19 4,608 243 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust RWH 8 5,086 636 
			 East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust RVV 18 6,161 342 
			 Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust RVR 13 4,463 343 
			 Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust RTE 12 5,561 463 
			 Guys and St. Thomas's NHS Trust RJ1 20 5,717 286 
			 Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust RQN 23 5,243 228 
			 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust RD7 7 4,409 630 
			 Homerton Hospital NHS Trust RQX 8 4,500 563 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust RWA 13 4,916 378 
			 King's Healthcare NHS Trust RJZ 15 4,132 275 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust RAX 8 4,791 599 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust RR8 22 8,193 372 
			 Liverpool Obstetrics and Gynaecology Services NHS Trust REP 25 6,456 258 
			 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust RC9 8 4,296 537 
			 Mayday Health Care NHS Trust RJ6 7 4,253 608 
			 Medway NHS Trust RPA 8 4,207 526 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust RTD 20 4,809 240 
			 Newham Healthcare NHS Trust RNH 8 4,367 546 
			 Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust RM1 9 4,830 537 
			 North Bristol NHS Trust RVJ 8 4,800 600 
			 North Staffordshire Hospital Centre NHS Trust RJE 11 5,001 455 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust RV8 16 4,743 296 
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust RCS 9 5,592 621 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust RTH 23 6,013 261 
			 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust RW6 17 9,284 546 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust RK9 11 4,081 371 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust RHU 11 5,304 482 
			 Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust RHW 9 4,861 540 
			 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust RHQ 22 6,180 281 
			 Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust RXW 9 4,064 452 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust RHM 13 4,702 362 
			 Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust RTG 13 4,399 338 
			 St Mary's Hospital NHS Trust RJ5 11 4,156 378 
			 The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust RWD 12 4,937 411 
			 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust RA7 16 4,660 291 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust RKB 12 4,065 339 
			 University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust RWE 24 5,264 219 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust RWG 9 4,829 537 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust RGC 7 4,171 596 
			 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust RWP 10 5,364 536 
		
	
	(210)Figures for deliveries registered are taken from the Department of Health maternity hospital episode statistics 2003–04 bulletin.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre medical and dental workforce census.
	Department of Health Maternity hospital episode statistics.

Nursing

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of state-registered nurse training is allocated to dealing with psychiatric illnesses.

Liam Byrne: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) sets the standards for registration as a qualified nurse. The education standards set by the NMC are at a broad level of principle and are used by the education institutions to inform their curriculum development. The NMC is responsible for validating the programmes that the education institutions provide.
	There are four branches of pre-registration nurse training; adult, children, learning disability and mental health nursing. During the mental health nursing branch, students will gain experience in acute psychiatry, the care of those with severe or enduring mental illness, the care of the elderly mentally ill and supporting people to live in the community.

Nursing

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many nursing vacancies there are in the Essex Health Authority area;
	(2)  how many nurses are employed in each of the hospitals located in Essex Health Authority.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Department of Health Vacancies Survey: Vacancies in Essex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area for qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff, three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post
		
			   March 2004 September 2004 
			   Three month vacancy rate Staff in post 
			   Percentage Number Full-time equivalent Headcount 
		
		
			 Essex SHA Q03 3.3 230 7,168 8,926 
			   
			 Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals National Health Service Trust ROD 2.1 16 863 1,138 
			 Basildon Primary Care Trust (PCT) 5GR 1.1 1 93 122 
			 Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford PCT 5GP 0.0 (212)— 97 118 
			 Castle Point and Rochford PCT 5JP 2.5 3 124 152 
			 Chelmsford PCT 5JN 6.3 6 81 108 
			 Colchester PCT 5GM 3.2 8 251 293 
			 Epping Forest PCT 5AJ 3.4 3 110 140 
			 Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust RB4 0.0 (212)— 1 1 
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust RDE 0.8 7 894 1,092 
			 Essex SHA Q03 (211)— (212)— 9 10 
			 Harlow PCT 5DC 8.6 8 91 115 
			 Maldon and South Chelmsford PCT 5GL 11.3 12 99 142 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 0.0 (212)— 1,083 1,454 
			 North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust RRD 4.5 30 671 746 
			 Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 14.3 96 610 739 
			 South Essex Partnership NHS Trust RWN 3.8 19 550 641 
			 Southend Hospital NHS Trust RAJ 0.5 5 943 1,119 
			 Southend on Sea PCT 5AK 1.7 2 140 193 
			 Tendring PCT 5AH 4.4 7 146 196 
			 Thurrock PCT 5GQ 2.7 3 124 145 
			 Uttlesford PCT 5GN 6.0 4 61 83 
			 Witham Braintree and Halstead Care Trust TAG 0.0 (212)— 127 179 
		
	
	(211)Figures where sum of staff in post (as at 30 September 2004) and vacancies (as at 31 March 2005) is less than 10.
	(212)Zero.
	Three month vacancy notes:
	1.Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March each year.
	2.Three month vacancies are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (full–time equivalents).
	3.Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.
	4.Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
	General notes:
	1.Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.
	2.Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.
	3.Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
	Sources:
	Health & Social Care Information Centre vacancies survey, March 2004.
	Health & Social Care Information Centre non-medical workforce census, September 2004.

Nursing

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had during each of the last 18 months with the Royal College of Nursing about (a) abortion and (b) euthanasia issues; if she will place in the Library a note of each such meeting; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: No such discussions have taken place.

Obesity

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice and assistance is made available to encourage general practitioners to take advantage through practice based commissioning of (a) slimming on referral and (b) other evidence based schemes.

Liam Byrne: No specific advice has been issued to general practitioners on referral issues in the context of practice based commissioning. However, practice based commissioning does provide the opportunity for GPs to take more responsibility for the commissioning of evidence based services for patients.
	In addition, the White Paper, Choosing Health", made a commitment to assess the role the independent sector, including validated programmes such as slimming on referral, can play in providing effective behaviour change programmes.

Obesity

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on progress with obesity initiatives in the Implementation Programme of the White Paper on Public Health with particular reference to (a) the Weight Loss Guide, (b) Obesity Care Pathway and the Obesity Tool Kit, (c) the Directory of Training Resources, (d) National Partnership for Obesity, (e) Obesity Programme Board, (f) the development of a job description and management structure for health trainers and (g) the work of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in assessing weight loss options.

Caroline Flint: Progress on the programmes listed are as follows:
	Publication of the weight loss guide is expected in the autumn.
	Both the obesity care pathway and the obesity toolkit are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
	The directory for training resources was posted on the Dieticians in Obesity Management UK (DOMUK) website at www.domuk.org on 25 May. There will be a link to the directory from the Department's website.
	Arrangements are in hand for the first meeting of the obesity programme board by the autumn. One of its first tasks will be to reach agreements on the setting up of the national partnership for obesity.
	From September, early adopter sites will begin to trial a draft set of core competencies and job descriptions for health trainers.
	The work of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in assessing weight loss options is on schedule for early 2007, preceded by two consultations next year.

Obesity

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the total number of points available for assessing practice remuneration under the general practitioners contract is; how many points relate directly to the assessment, treatment or prevention of overweightness or obesity; and for what specific purposes these are awarded;
	(2)  if she will increase the number of points available under the general practitioners contract for actions directly related to tackling overweightness and obesity by reference to success in reducing obesity rather than measuring the scale of the problem; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: There are 1050 points available in the quality and outcomes framework, of which three points are available for the percentage of patients with diabetes whose notes record body mass index in the previous 15 months. A review of the quality and outcomes framework is currently being undertaken led by NHS Employers. As part of that, the Department has submitted proposals for new indicators on obesity, which are being considered by an expert panel as part of the agreed review process.

Obesity

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on whether pregnant women who are obese during the first trimester of pregnancy have an increased likelihood of having a baby with cleft lip or palate; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: None.

Older People (Financial Support)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding will be provided for increasing the proportion of older people being supported to live in their own home by one per cent. annually in 2007 and 2008; and what form that support will take.

Liam Byrne: One of the Department's public service agreement targets states that, by March 2008, the number of people supported intensively to live independently at home, as a proportion of all those supported intensively at home or in residential care, should increase to 34 percent., increasing the proportion of older people being supported to live in their own home by one per cent, annually in 2007 and 2008.
	The Spending Review 2004 settlement, announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will provide sufficient resources to meet this target. Spending on adult social services is set to rise from £10.7billion in 2004 to £12.5 billion in 2007–08. It is for local authorities to decide how best to deploy their resources to meet their targets.

Oral Cancer

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of oral cancer were first diagnosed by a dentist in each of the past five years.

Rosie Winterton: Some 2,000 new cases of oral cancer are registered each year as a result of referrals from general dental practitioners and general medical practitioners.

Osteoporosis Care/Services

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts had established an integrated falls and osteoporosis service by 1 April as set out in Standard Six of the National Service Framework for Older People.

Liam Byrne: At the end of March 2004, 88 per cent. of primary care trusts indicated that they had met the milestone. The Department is working with strategic health authorities to ensure that those who have not complied do so as soon as possible.

Osteoporosis Care/Services

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to improve osteoporosis services in primary care.

Liam Byrne: The national service framework for older people clearly states that, following a fall, general practitioners should take responsibility for assessing risk of osteoporosis and identifying those who need prevention or treatment and then make a referral to an appropriate specialist service.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently issued an appraisal of drugs used in the secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures in post-menopausal women. NICE is also appraising drugs used in the primary prevention of osteoporotic fragility fractures in postmenopausal women, due to be published in September 2005. A clinical guideline on the assessment of fracture risk and the prevention of osteoporotic fractures in individuals at high risk is being produced and is due for publication in February 2006. The NICE appraisals and guideline mentioned apply to all national health service organisations, including primary care trusts.

Osteoporosis Care/Services

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that primary care trusts continue to work towards meeting the milestones relating to osteoporosis outlined in standard six of the national framework for older people.

Liam Byrne: Since April 2004, the Department has been monitoring progress towards the milestone in the national service framework for older people, requiring all localities to have an integrated falls service in place by April 2005. This includes the risk assessment, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
	Around 95 per cent. of primary care trusts (PCTs) have told us that they have now met the milestone. The Department continues to have discussions with the strategic health authorities representing those PCTs that have not yet met the target, to ensure that they do so as soon as possible.

Out-of-hours Care

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost to Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust of providing out-of-hours care to patients was (a) in the last financial quarter and (b) has been since April 2004.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally. We expect primary care trusts (PCTs) to fund out-of-hours services through their general funding allocations. In 2004–05, Dartford Gravesham and Swanley PCT received £214.2 million and in 2005–06, it received £233.3 million.

Overseas Doctors

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made to the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin on its recommendations on visas for overseas doctors; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin has raised concerns about immigration rules relating to doctors who are seeking employment in the United Kingdom. The Department is discussing these views with the Home Office.

Overseas Nationals (NHS Treatment)

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many overseas nationals without private health insurance have received NHS treatment each year since 1995;
	(2)  how much her Department has recovered from tourists from overseas who have received NHS treatment in each year since 1995;
	(3)  how much each NHS trust has spent on treating overseas nationals not covered by the E111 scheme in each year since 1995.

Jane Kennedy: The Government have never required the national health service to provide statistics on the number or nationality of overseas visitors treated under the provisions of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, or on the costs of treatment. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

Overseas Nationals (NHS Treatment)

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has commissioned into health tourism in the NHS.

Jane Kennedy: The Department conducted an internal review of the operation of the national health service hospital charging arrangements for overseas visitors prior to consulting on amendments to the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 during the autumn of 2003. A further small internal review of implementation of the changes to the regulations subsequently introduced was conducted during the late spring and summer of 2004. No specific external research was commissioned as part of either of these exercises.

Overseas Nationals (NHS Treatment)

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances the NHS refuses to treat tourists from overseas who are uninsured.

Jane Kennedy: No one in need of immediately necessary care will ever be refused treatment. However, under the provisions of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, overseas visitors may be required to pay for any national health service hospital treatment provided, if they are not covered by any of the exemptions from charges also set out in the regulations.
	NHS trusts are required to establish whether a patient is a chargeable overseas visitor and if so to make and recover a charge for any NHS hospital treatment provided. Where treatment is not urgent, trusts are encouraged to obtain a deposit equal to the estimated cost of treatment before treatment begins. Immediately necessary treatment must be provided without delay, with charging issues resolved later.

Palliative Care

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to primary care trusts on providing palliative care services; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Government recognises the importance of providing effective and efficient palliative and specialist palliative care services. That is why we commissioned the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to produce guidance on supportive and palliative care. This was published on 24 March 2004. The 34 cancer networks in England are now developing action plans to ensure that this is implemented, which will be monitored by strategic health authorities. In addition, further guidance on the development of specialist palliative care services was provided when the £50 million central budget for specialist palliative care was established in 2003–04.
	For children's hospices, we are currently developing a guide on commissioning children's and young people's palliative care services, which will be published shortly.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will answer question reference 6661 tabled by the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam.

Liam Byrne: I refer to the hon. Member to the reply I gave on Wednesday 13 July 2005, Official Report, column1143W.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to question reference 6656 tabled by the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on Wednesday 20 July 2005, Official Report, column 1886W.

Patient and Public Involvement in Health

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the functions will be of the proposed centre for excellence in patient and public involvement in health.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 12 July 2005
	It is intended that the resource centre for patient and public involvement (PPI) will be a repository of PPI related knowledge. The centre will seek out existing and ongoing PPI best practice and innovation and communicate it widely through exemplars, advice, guidance and information; identify gaps in learning and skills and support initiatives to address them and offer signposting, linkages and networks to promote good PPI practice.

Patient Care (Private Companies)

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2005, Official Report, column 1765W, on patient care (private companies), if she will place a copy of the quality requirements in the Library.

Liam Byrne: The quality requirements for delivery of out-of-hours care are available on the Department's website at http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/09/12/15/04091215.pdf.

PCT Funding

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to question reference 4622, how much extra funding is allocated to each primary care trust for (a) age related needs, (b) additional needs and (c) unavoidable difference in the cost of providing services;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer to question reference 4622, what data sources are used to determine the extra weighting given for unavoidable difference in the cost of providing services.

Liam Byrne: The weighted capitation formula does not separately allocate extra funding to each primary care trust (PCT) for the age-related needs, additional needs and unavoidable costs adjustments.
	An explanation of the data sources used to determine the extra weighting given for unavoidable difference in the cost of providing services is given in the technical document titled, Resource Allocation: Weighted Capitation Formula—Fifth Edition", which is available on the Department's website at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/Publications PolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance Article/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4112065&chk= MqnOJW.
	A list of the PCT indices for the age-related needs, additional needs and unavoidable costs adjustments is contained in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 PCT initial revenue resource limits exposition book, which is available on the Department's website at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrqanisationPolicy/FinanceAndPlanning/Allocations/AllocationsArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4104471&chk=kDkAyL.

Pharmacy Closures

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what criteria are used to assess the case for closure of a pharmacy on the grounds that the pharmacist is deemed no longer fit to practise;
	(2)  what grounds for appeal are available to a pharmacist suspended under the new legislation regarding fitness to practise.

Jane Kennedy: A pharmacy contractor can be removed from a national health service pharmaceutical list under section 49F of the National Health Service Act 1977 (the 1977 Act") if he/she is unfit to practise on grounds of efficiency, fraud or suitability. Removal from the list prevents a contractor providing NHS pharmaceutical services. This does not automatically result in closure of the pharmacy, since the contractor is able to continue to trade privately. However, many pharmacies rely on their NHS business to be commercially viable.
	The criteria used to assess such cases are set out in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/641 as amended) (the Pharmaceutical Services Regulations"), at regulation 46. Decisions on removal from the list are the responsibility of the relevant primary care trust (PCT). Such decisions can be appealed under section 49M of the 1977 Act to the Family Health Services Appeal Authority (FHSAA), an independent tribunal established under Section 49S and Schedule 9A of the NHS Act 1977 as amended. Guidance for PCTs on these procedures is available on the Department's website.
	Where a PCT suspends a pharmacy contractor under section 49I of the 1977 Act, he/she is entitled to have the matter reviewed in accordance with section 49L of that Act.
	The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain may also remove a pharmacist from the professional register on grounds of misconduct or poor performance, for example, where the pharmacist has been convicted of criminal offences or for breaches of the Pharmacy Act, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 or the Medicines Act 1968. If removed, a pharmacist must cease to practise.

Physiotherapists

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many physiotherapists were employed by the NHS in 2004–05 in a (a) junior capacity and (b) senior capacity;
	(2)  what steps she plans to take to increase the number of junior physiotherapy posts in hospitals in England; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Information collected by the Department does not break down physiotherapists by grade. The latest available figures show that, as at September 2004, there were 19,139 physiotherapists employed in the national health service.
	The Department is working closely with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, the NHS workforce review team and NHS organisations to help junior physiotherapists to find first posts of employment. As a result of this collaborative work, there is an action plan in place to ensure local managers have access to a range of strategies across recruitment, commissioning and skill mix. It is the responsibility of local NHS employers and strategic health authorities to ensure there are sufficient numbers of physiotherapists to meet service needs.

Policy Costings

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what costings of (a) Liberal Democrat and (b) Conservative party policies her Department has (i)undertaken, (ii) co-ordinated in the previous 12 months and (iii) advised upon in the previous 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to Her Majesty's Treasury's website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about/information/foi_disclosures/foi_disclosures index.cfm.

Post-operative Care

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average cost of providing rehabilitation and care for a post-operative patient in (a) an acute hospital and (b) a community hospital.

Liam Byrne: Currently, no data is available that separately identifies the average cost of providing post-operative care. These costs are included in a composite cost for a procedure or treatment. The case-mix of patients treated in acute and community hospitals is likely to differ.

Prescribed Medicines (Costs)

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of (a) the proportion of prescribed medicines that were not taken by patients and (b) the resultant cost to the NHS in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The Department does not hold the information requested.

Prescribed Medicines (Costs)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was spent on prescriptions by each primary care trust in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Primary Care Trusts

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to re-organise primary care trust funding in Milton Keynes.

Rosie Winterton: The latest round of revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2006–07 and 2007–08 was announced on 2 February 2005. Milton Keynes PCT will receive £247.0 million in 2006–07 and £277.9 million in 2007–08. These allocations represent a cash increase of £55.6 million, or 25 per cent, over the two years.
	It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.

Primary Care Trusts

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the ability of primary care trusts to find a reasonable balance between funding expenditure on primary care and acute services in their respective areas.

Liam Byrne: No such assessments have been made. It is for primary care trusts to assess and make decisions about investment locally within the context of the Government's national priorities for the national health service.

Primary Care Trusts

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the budgetary positions of primary care trusts in 2005.

Liam Byrne: We agree financial plans with primary care trusts (PCTs) each year, after assessing the reasonableness of their assumptions for future income and expenditure.
	PCTs are expected to plan to live within their revenue resource, capital resource and cash limits each and every year. The financial plans for 2005–06 are being finalised.

Primary Care Trusts

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what advice her Department provides to primary care trusts facing large financial deficits with regard to their compliance with waiting list targets;
	(2)  whether the statutory duty placed upon primary care trusts to maintain balanced budgets overrides the requirement placed upon them to achieve waiting list targets.

Liam Byrne: National health service organisations are expected to plan for and achieve financial balance each and every year. It is the responsibility of the strategic health authorities (SHAs) to deliver both overall financial balance for their local health communities and to ensure each and every body achieves financial balance. However, there is a degree of flexibility in how this is managed at a local level. In circumstances where a surplus or underspend cannot be generated in the following year, the SHAs can agree to a recovery plan which phases the recovery of deficits over a number of years.
	Waiting times matter to patients and it is possible to meet the waiting time targets and achieve financial balance. Successful organisations are doing this and have been for some time.

Prostate Cancer

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to promote awareness of the symptoms of prostate cancer; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Thanks to the work of the prostate cancer advisory group (PCAG) we now have, for the first time, a definitive set of key messages for the general public about the prostate, including prostate cancer. This will give men the information they need to be aware of the prostate, but in such a way as to not cause unnecessary anxiety.
	A pilot communications programme using the key messages has been developed by the public awareness working group of PCAG and is expected to start in February 2006.
	For health professionals, in April 2000, we published referral guidelines for suspected cancer, to help general practitioners identify those patients who are most likely to have cancer and who therefore require urgent assessment by a specialist. The guidelines included a section on prostate cancer. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) reviewed this guidance and published an update version in June 2005.
	The prostate cancer risk management programme has produced a booklet, The PSA test and prostate cancer: Information for primary care". This booklet provides GPs with an easy reference source on prostate cancer, from risk factors to treatment. The booklet was produced after consultation with GPs, primary care cancer leads and an expert advisory group.
	In September 2002, NICE published guidance on urological cancers, including prostate cancer. This guidance covers all aspects of cancer care for urological cancer patients and is aimed at helping all of those involved in planning, commissioning, organising and providing cancer services to ensure high quality services.
	We have also provided funding for the following organisations to increase public awareness of prostate cancer:
	In 2004, we provided £30,000 to the Men's Health Forum to help fund its publication, the Men and Cancer" manual.
	We have provided £135,000 to the Prostate Cancer Charity to increase available information about prostate cancer.
	We are providing £105,000 to the Prostate Cancer Charity to improve awareness of the risks and symptoms of prostate cancer in African and Afro-Caribbean men in Britain.
	We are working with the voluntary sector to develop a national prostate cancer website and have provided £100,000 of funding. It is expected that the website will be launched in autumn 2005.

Psychiatrists

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are training to be psychiatrists.

Liam Byrne: As at 31 March 2004, there were 1,144 doctors holding training numbers in the psychiatric specialties. In addition, as at 30 September 2004 there were 2,426 senior house officers and 10 house officers working within the psychiatry group. However, many of these doctors were not planning to take up psychiatry as a career but, rather, were intending to apply the basic-level experience gained in psychiatry to other spheres of medicine, for example, primary care.

Psychiatrists

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthhow many consultant psychiatrists there are per head of the population; and how many there were in 1997.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Hospital, public health medicine and community health services: staff numbers and numbers per 100,000 population—England
		
			  30 September 1997 31 December 2004 
			  Numbers Per 1,000 population Numbers Per 1,000 population 
		
		
			 Psychiatry group 2,447 5.0 3,638 7.3 
			 of which: 
			 Child and adolescent  psychiatry 445 0.9 575 1.1 
			 Forensic psychiatry 123 0.3 233 0.5 
			 General psychiatry 1,365 2.8 1,994 4.0 
			 Learning disabilities 161 0.3 208 0.4 
			 Old age psychiatry 244 0.5 516 1.0 
			 Psychotherapy 109 0.2 112 0.2 
		
	
	Source:
	National Health Service Health and Social Care Information Centre medical and dental workforce census.

Rehabilitation Services

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to meet the challenges set out in the 58th World Health Assembly resolution on disability, including prevention, management and rehabilitation in relation to rehabilitation services for disabled people in England.

Liam Byrne: The resolution is in line with Government policy to ensure equal opportunities and improve life chances for disabled people.
	The Department is taking forward a number of initiatives to address the challenges of rehabilitation. Ongoing work on patient management and rehabilitation includes the recently published national service framework for long-term conditions. In addition, the Department is involved in work on prevention through the development of practical policies in the Public Health White Paper, Choosing Health". In particular, the Department is currently undertaking a project to assess provision of rehabilitation services within the national health service and social care, what gaps exist and how services might be improved.
	We are also working with the Department for Work and Pensions to take forward recommendations from the strategy unit report, Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People", including setting up an office for disability issues.

Repeat Prescriptions

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a limit is placed on the number of pills that can be dispensed with a repeat prescription.

Jane Kennedy: There is no such limit. Prescriptions are based on clinical need and the professional judgment of the prescriber.

Research and Development

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the Department's research and development goals and priorities.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 13 July 2005
	The scope of the Department's research and development programme and its current priorities, are described in chapter 8 of the Government's science and innovation investment framework, published in July 2004. The framework document is available in the Library and can be found on the Treasury internet site at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.
	The Department will consult publicly on proposals for a new national health research strategy later in the summer.

Right to Life

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her reply of 14 July 2005, Official Report, column 1200W, on right to life, whether the Government's commitment to the NHS offering equal access for all includes the right to life; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Human Rights Act came into force on 2 October 2000 and incorporates into United Kingdom law certain rights and freedoms set out in the European Convention on Human Rights. This includes the right to life.

Scanning (Middlesbrough)

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members of staff are employed to provide diagnostic scanning services by Alliance Medical on the site in Middlesbrough.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The information requested is not centrally available. Staffing of the mobile scanning units is a matter for Alliance Medical Ltd.

Seaside Incidents

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions there were to NHS trusts due to incidents at the seaside in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS trust.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not centrally available.

Selective Serotonin Inhibitors

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) fluoxetine, (b) sertraline, (c) Escitalopram oxalate, (d) Citaopram, Fluvoxamine, (e) Maleate and (f) Paroxetine costs per patient; and what the budget for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors is in 2005–06.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the form requested. The Department does not hold data on the number of people who receive medication and cannot attribute a cost per patient for a particular drug. The Department does not set budgets for primary care trust (PCT) expenditure on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and PCT expenditure for 2005–06 is unknown.

Selective Serotonin Inhibitors

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply Igave him on Monday 4 July 2005, Official Report, columns. 227–28W.

Severe Neck Trauma

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds in Milton Keynes general hospital are available for patients with severe neck trauma; and whether beds are reserved for local patients.

Rosie Winterton: Data is only available on the total number of beds at Milton Keynes General National Health Service Trust, not by this speciality. Beds are not reserved for local patients; all patients are accommodated if the hospital trust has capacity due to clinical need. Patients who require specific neurological deficit specialist care and patients with fractured spines who require surgery would be transferred to Stoke Mandeville hospital, which is part of the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust. Stable fractures would remain with Milton Keynes General NHS Trust.

Sickness Absences

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many days the Department has lost due to sickness in the past five years for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The data on sickness within the Department is contained in the annual report, Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service", published by the Cabinet Office. Table A of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per staff year and the number of staff years on which that calculation is based. The most recent, for calendar year 2003, was announced by my right hon. Friend, the then Minister for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly) in a written ministerial statement on 1 November 2004, Official Report, column 1WS. Copies were placed in the Libraries. Reports for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/conditions_of_service/caje/publications/index.asp#sickness
	We remain committed to managing sick absence effectively and to putting in place the recommendations of the recently published Managing Sick Absence in the Public Sector".

Sickness Absences

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2005, Official Report, column 633W, on nurses, what information she holds on the causes of the pain that accounted for 40 per cent. of sickness absence in the national health service.

Liam Byrne: The Department does not hold information on the causes of the pain that accounted for 40 per cent. of sickness absence in the national health service. The figure is derived from information collected by and reported to the Health and Safety Executive.
	The Back in Work" campaign is, however, informed by a number of partner organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive and staff representative bodies, which recognise that manual handling is a cause of sickness absence in the NHS. As part of the campaign, guidance is provided on risk assessments, mechanical aids and safer lifting and handling techniques through continuous staff training and monitoring.

Smallpox Vaccines

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the size is of the stockpile of vaccines for smallpox held by the UK Government; what her estimate is of the optimum number of vaccines required to respond to alert level four of the smallpox vaccination plan; what the shelf life is of the vaccines she has stockpiled; what procedures she has in place to replenish the stockpile of vaccines after their expiry; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The United Kingdom Government have sufficient smallpox vaccine to mount a mass vaccination campaign of the whole population. The optimum number of vaccines needs to be sufficient to vaccinate all those in the population for whom vaccination is not contra-indicated and we have sufficient vaccine for this.
	There are three different vaccines with shelf-life dependent upon the date of manufacture. Upon expiry of shelf-life, these vaccines are subject to a programme of testing and have been found to meet standards of potency and stability and remain suitable for use beyond their stated shelf-life. There are no plans to replace existing vaccine stocks subject to them meeting current standards of use.

Smallpox Vaccines

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that local bodies' smallpox plans adhere to the national framework laid out in the operational planning framework for smallpox mass vaccination published on 24 June.

Caroline Flint: Progress on local health contingency planning for a range of potential threats is monitored through the performance management arrangements for national health service organisations.
	In addition, each health authority has been questioned separately about its preparedness to deal with smallpox as part of the Government's audit of contingency planning arrangements and a further audit is proposed later this year.

Smallpox Vaccines

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trained vaccinators able to administer the smallpox vaccination there are in the UK; and what the minimum number of trained vaccinators required to respond to alert level four of the smallpox vaccination plan is.

Caroline Flint: The Department's contingency planning for smallpox includes the setting up of regional smallpox response teams who have been vaccinated against smallpox.
	Corresponding arrangements are being made for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This cohort of health care workers would be the first responders in investigating any suspected or confirmed cases of smallpox and therefore need to be protected against the threat of disease.
	To date, we have vaccinated 276 health care workers.
	For mass vaccination, our plans include arrangements for rapid training of suitable and sufficient personnel by those already trained and vaccinated to undertake mass vaccination in each area within five days of the decision to implement mass vaccination.

Social Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2005, Official Report, column 587W, on social care, what the (a) remit and (b) timescale is for establishment of the joint delivery team working on individual budgets.

Liam Byrne: Work on individual budgets is being led by the Department of Health and the Department of Work and Pensions, supported by other Government departments, such as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Education and Skills.
	At a strategic level this work is being led by a cross-government ministerial team, led by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Disability in the Department for Work and Pensions (Mrs. McGuire) and me. This team is responsible for steering the work and ensuring that key stakeholders, including the people who may use services, are integral to the design of the individual budget pilots. This team has already met on several occasions.

Social Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the number of people with care needs who would wish to take-up (a) a direct payment and (b) individual budgets.

Liam Byrne: Individual budgets are one of the central proposals set out in Independence, Well-being and Choice, the Department's Adult Social Care Green Paper, published in March 2005. The Department has conducted an extensive consultation exercise on the ideas in the Green Paper and this will continue until 28 July 2005. Piloting individual budgets was also recommended in the Government's recent report, Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People".
	Anecdotally preliminary findings suggest very strong support for the individual budget approach.

Social Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the applicability of the Human Rights Act to care settings provided by non-statutory agencies.

Liam Byrne: The Human Rights Act applies to public authorities. It provides that public authorities are required not to act incompatibly with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Social Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in developing appropriate data sets for the assessment of care needs and the measurement of care outcomes.

Liam Byrne: The Health and Social Care Information Centre is currently developing national standard datasets to support the monitoring of cancer, diabetes, child health, mental health, maternity, renal, older people's and coronary heart disease services. Each of the dataset products will support the information requirements of their respective national service frameworks, and are subject to the national approval mechanisms of the national health service.
	The following datasets have been approved by the Information Standards Board:
	National cancer dataset—a core dataset which contains generic patient and treatment information. Site-specific appendices for lung, colorectal, breast, head and neck, urological, gynaecological, upper gastro-intestinal tract, brain, sarcoma and skin cancers have been approved, in addition to the cancer registration dataset.
	Diabetes continuing care dataset—which brings together into one dataset the combined monitoring data requirements of the national diabetes audit, the diabetes chapter of the new general medical services quality and outcomes framework, the DiabetesE" performance management tool and the diabetes indicators for the better metrics performance indicator project.
	Mental health minimum dataset—to support clinicians and managers through the provision of information about individual cases, including packages of care and outcome assessment.
	Coronary heart disease dataset—A core dataset for acute myocardial infarction for monitoring standards of care.
	Datasets under development or awaiting Information Standards Board approval are:
	Datasets to support older people's services—single assessment process, falls, continence, stroke, dementia and depression.
	Datasets to support other site-specific cancer services—haematological, surgical voice restoration, thyroid, primary care, children's cancer services and palliative care.
	Diabetes retinopathy screening, diabetes footcare and paediatric datasets.
	Maternity services dataset.
	Child health services dataset.
	Renal services dataset.

South Tees Hospital Trust

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the financial position of the South Tees hospital trust.

Liam Byrne: The South Tees hospitals national health service trust savings plan for 2005–06 was made public at a board meeting on 7 June 2005. It is targeted to achieve a reduction in expenditure of £19.8 million.

Stroke/Coronary Heart Disease

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people at high risk of stroke following a transient ischaemic attack or minor stroke had a major stroke while awaiting initial assessment, investigation and treatment for their condition in 2004–05;
	(2)  what the average waiting time was for a patient, from initial presentation with a transient ischaemic attack or minor stroke, to consultation with a stroke specialist and subsequent investigation in the period for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many NHS trusts offer a daily urgent assessment clinic for patients at high risk of stroke.

Liam Byrne: The Department does not collect this data centrally.

Stroke/Coronary Heart Disease

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the total economic costs to the UK of long-term disability as a result of stroke in 2004–05.

Liam Byrne: No such estimate has been made.

Stroke/Coronary Heart Disease

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans her Department has to set targets for the effective management of (a) stroke and (b) coronary heart disease;
	(2)  what action her Department will be taking in light of the evidence showing that stroke is overtaking coronary heart disease as the UK's most common acute vascular event.

Rosie Winterton: The Department recognised the importance of developing better stroke services by including specific milestones, targets and actions in the national service framework (NSF) for older people, launched in March 2001.
	The NSF for coronary heart disease (CHD), published in March 2000, sets the agenda for the modernisation of CHD services over a 10 year period. The NSF sets 12 standards for improved prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation and goals to secure fair access to high quality services.
	Following the Government's decision to devolve most central funding to local primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities, the balance of power has further shifted by moving away from a central target-based focus, to allow PCTs to devise local strategies to meet the specific needs and demands in their own area. The Healthcare Commission produces an annual star ratings report of performance for national health service trusts in England to assess progress against existing targets and to promote improvement in the quality of health care. Its recently published 2004–05 report included an indicator on stroke.
	With the considerable improvements that have been made in cardiac care, coupled with an ageing population, stroke is expected to form a greater contribution to the vascular disease burden in the future. In recognition of this, the Department has convened an expert advisory vascular programme board to oversee work on stroke and co-ordinate work across the common elements of vascular diseases—CHD, stroke, diabetes and renal.

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department is sponsoring into transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

Jane Kennedy: The Department funds research into transmissible spongiform encephalopies as part of a wider Government programme of publicly-funded research. Project details can be found on the Medical Research Council's website at http://www.mrc.ac.uk/index/current-research/current-tse_portfolio_search.htm

Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Two Shires ambulance NHS trust met its performance target for responding to category A calls in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04.

Caroline Flint: The Two Shires ambulance national health service trust did not meet its performance target for category A (that is, immediate life-threatening calls with ambulance services required to respond to 75 per cent. of such cases within eight minutes) response time in 2001–02, but exceeded it for each consecutive year to date, as shown in the table.
	
		Category A calls responded within eight minutes for Two Shires ambulance NHS trust 
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 2001–02 73.9 
			 2002–03 76.0 
			 2003–04 76.6

United Brain Tumour Campaign

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to provide support for the United Brain Tumour Campaign.

Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is developing an Improving Outcomes" guidance for brain tumours. This guidance will recommend the optimal forms of treatment and care for patients with brain tumours in the national health service and is expected to be published in June 2006.
	The scope of the guidance covers the issues raised by the United Brain Tumour Campaign, such as the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment, the need for consistent, jargon-free information and the need for support for patients with brain tumours, their families and their carers.

Unsuccessful Operations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place to compensate those who have incurred pain and suffering through unsuccessful operations; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Compensation for pain and suffering following unsuccessful operations is available where clinical negligence is proved to have occurred. However, the fact that an operation has been unsuccessful does not imply that the healthcare professionals concerned have failed in their duty of care towards the patient. Patients are advised pre-operatively of the possible consequences of operations and sign a consent form to say that they have been alerted to potential risks during and following surgery.
	Claims for clinical negligence incurred by national health service bodies are managed by the NHS Litigation Authority, which is a special health authority set up by the Secretary of State for Health. The authority administers the current clinical negligence scheme for trusts, set up under Section 21 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. For a claim to be successful, the claimant must show that he/she is owed a duty of care, that the duty was breached and that the breach caused or contributed materially to the injury for which he/she is claiming compensation.

Velcade

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the drug Velcade to be available for prescription in England.

Jane Kennedy: Velcade is available on national health service prescription.

Velcade

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make Velcade available on prescription for the treatment of myeloma.

Jane Kennedy: Velcade is available on national health service prescription for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Velcade

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to complete its assessment of Velcade.

Jane Kennedy: An early referral of Velcade to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was made on 20 July. NICE will carry out an appraisal at the earliest opportunity.

Violence against Staff

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1385W, on violence against staff, what targets were set on reducing incidents of violence towards NHS staff prior to the Security Management Service research; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets.

Jane Kennedy: Working Together: Securing a Quality Workforce for the NHS", published in 1999, required national health service trusts to set targets for reducing incidents of violence and aggression by 20 per cent. by 2001 and 30 per cent. by 2003. The targets were subsequently incorporated into the Improving Working Lives" standard, launched in October 2000, which all acute, mental health and ambulance trusts were required to put into practice by April 2003. By March 2002, 20 per cent. of trusts had achieved the 20 per cent. reduction target.
	In April 2003, the NHS Security Management Service (SMS) was created and assumed policy and operational responsibility for the management of security in the NHS, including the problem of violence. In November 2003, the SMS introduced a comprehensive range of proactive and reactive measures to tackle violence against NHS staff. The SMS has begun a programme of work to identify the nature, scale and extent of violence against NHS staff. Following the introduction of this new programme, NHS trusts have not been required to report on the 30 per cent. target set under previous programmes.

Violence against Staff

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adverse incidents were recorded in the NHS in England by the National Reporting and Learning System in the latest year for which information is available; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) published its first analysis of reported patient safety incidents on 21 July 2005. Copies are available in the Library. Building a memory: preventing harm, reducing risks and improving patient safety—The first report of the National Reporting and Learning System and the Patient Safety Observatory", shows that, up to 31 March 2005, 85,342 patient safety incidents were reported, affecting 86,142 patients. The majority of incidents, 68 per cent., resulted in no harm to patients.
	It is important that this information is set in the context of the overall delivery of health care. The vast majority of national health service care is safe and effective, with over a million patients successfully treated every day. However, we are working to create a culture where staff feel that they can report patient safety incidents, so that we can learn from these and respond accordingly.
	This issue is not unique to the NHS and these levels of mistakes are equally likely to occur in healthcare systems across the world. A key part of our European Union Presidency will be the driving forward of action to improve patient safety and care.

Waiting Times

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets her Department has set for (a) waiting times for patients requiring an initial out-patient appointment with an eye specialist and (b) waiting times for second and subsequent out-patient appointments.

Liam Byrne: The maximum target waiting time for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant following general practitioner referral for any specialty is currently 17 weeks. By the end of 2005, this maximum will fall to 13 weeks.
	By 2008, no patient will have to wait more than 18 weeks from GP referral to start of treatment. This will cover all the stages that lead up to treatment, including any second and subsequent out-patient appointments.

Waiting Times

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were awaiting hospital admittance in the East Riding of Yorkshire at the last available count.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		In-patient waiting times in the East Riding of Yorkshire —May 2005
		
			 Strategic health authority code Code Organisation Total waiting Number waiting over six months Number waiting over nine months 
		
		
			   England 814,361 49,604 17 
			 Q11 5E3 East Yorkshire primary care trust (PCT) 2591 199 0 
			 Q11 5E4 Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT 2686 187 0 
			 Q11 5E5 Eastern Hull PCT 1995 237 0 
			 Q11 5E6 West Hull PCT 2572 297 1 
		
	
	Source:
	Monthly monitoring (commissioner based).

Waiting Times

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges there were in acute hospitals serving the East Riding of Yorkshire in the last 12 months; and how many acute hospital bed nights these represented.

Liam Byrne: The information is not available in the format requested. The latest information shows that, on a snapshot day in the week ending 3 April 2005, there were four delayed discharges in the East Yorkshire local authority area.

Waiting Times

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in the Essex health authority area referred urgently with suspected breast cancer have waited more than two weeks for an out-patient appointment in each reporting period since January 2002.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Number of patients with an urgent referral for suspected breast cancer waiting more than two weeks from referral to out-patients appointment—national health service hospitals in the Essex strategic health authority area
		
			   RDE RQ8 RAJ RQW RDD  
			 Reporting period Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust Southend Hospital NHS Trust The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Trust Total 
		
		
			 2001–02 Q4 2 1 27 0 0 30 
			 2002–03 Ql 5 0 2 0 0 7 
			 2002–03 Q2 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 2002–03 Q3 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2002–03 Q4 0 0 3 0 0 3 
			 2003–04 Ql 0 0 1 1 0 2 
			 2003–04 Q2 0 0 4 0 0 4 
			 2003–04 Q3 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2003–04 Q4 3 1 1 0 0 5 
			 2004–05 Ql 0 2 0 0 0 2 
			 2004–05 Q2 0 4 0 0 0 4 
			 2004–05 Q3 3 3 0 4 0 10 
			 2004–05 Q4 2 13 0 0 0 15 
		
	
	Source:
	CWT-Db, Department of Health.

Waiting Times

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in the Essex Health Authority area have waited more than (a) three months, (b) sixmonths, (c) nine months, (d) 12 months, (e) 15 months, (f) 18 months and (g) 24 months for (i) heart operations, (ii) cancer treatment and (iii) hip replacements in each year since 2001–02.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		Counts of finished in-year admission episodes, Main operative procedure heart operations (OPCS-4=K01-K71), Strategic health authority (SHA) of residence—Essex: National health service hospitals, England 2001–02 to 2003–04
		
			  Finished in-year admission episodes 
			 Waiting time grouping 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Up to 3 months 2,362 2,607 2,712 
			 More than 3 up to 6 months 788 1,371 1,333 
			 More than 6 up to 9 months 506 584 1,186 
			 More than 9 up to 12 months 384 461 360 
			 More than 12 up to 18 months 148 74 25 
			 More than 18 up to 24 months 5 8 6 
			 More than 24 months — 1 2 
			 Not known 54 139 117 
			 Total finished in-year admission  episodes 4,247 5,245 5,741 
		
	
	
		Counts of finished in-year admission episodes, Primary diagnosis—cancer (ICD-10=COO-D48), SHA of residence—Essex, NHS hospitals, England 2001–02 to 2003–04
		
			  Finished in-year admission episodes 
			 Waiting time grouping 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Up to 3 months 15,369 15,598 14,039 
			 More than 3 up to 6 months 1,741 2,044 1,347 
			 More than 6 up to 9 months 420 645 482 
			 More than 9 up to 12 months 250 367 267 
			 More than 12 up to 18 months 277 231 89 
			 More than 18 up to 24 months 38 22 15 
			 More than 24 months 19 12 8 
			 Not known 4,803 4,011 4,292 
			 Total finished in-year admission  episodes 22,917 22,930 20,539 
		
	
	
		Counts of finished in-year admission episodes. Main operative procedure—hip replacement (OPCS-4=W37-W39), SHA of residence—Essex, NHS hospitals, England 2001–02 to 2003–04
		
			  Finished in-year admission episodes 
			 Waiting time grouping 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Up to 3 months 266 243 284 
			 More than 3 up to 6 months 263 276 236 
			 More than 6 up to 9 months 200 270 329 
			 More than 9 up to 12 months 201 338 470 
			 More than 12 up to 18 months 331 310 145 
			 More than 18 up to 24 months 43 18 26 
			 More than 24 months 18 21 23 
			 Not known 6 26 6 
			 Total finished in-year admission  episodes 1,328 1,502 1,519 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the datayear. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2.The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	3.The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes" give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.
	4.Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data—(i.e. the data is un-grossed).
	5.Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period, whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.
	Source:
	HES, Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Ward/Bed Closures

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will list current proposals for ward closures and bed closures at NHS hospitals, including foundation hospitals, known to her Department;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of whether any proposals for ward or bed closures in NHS hospitals are the result of patients being treated under NHS contracts at private hospitals.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 12 July 2005
	Decisions on whether to close wards or beds are a matter for determination by local national health service organisations. The Department does not routinely collect this information and as such no assessment can be made of the reasons for any such closures locally.
	For the first wave of independent sector procurement, additional activity over and above growth in the NHS was secured using the independent sector. In addition, some activity was transferred to the independent sector to free up capacity in NHS facilities. These decisions, and decisions on where to site independent sector treatment centres, were taken in full consultation with strategic health authorities.